Seamus Coleman has issued a fresh injury update as he continues his rehabilitation from the knee injury he picked up last season

Seamus Coleman has revealed he is much further along in his recovery than he thought he would be when he was on a stretcher leaving the King Power pitch.

The Everton captain had to sit out the final few weeks of the most recent campaign after damaging his knee ligaments during the 2-2 draw with Leicester City back in May. The full-back sustained the injury towards the end of the first half after challenging Boubakary Soumare.

There were initial fears that Coleman had suffered ACL damage, which would have kept him out for the long term. However, while the Republic of Ireland International did sustain ligament problems, it was not as bad as first expected.

Coleman, who signed a new one-year contract with the club in June, underwent surgery before the end of last season and has since been doing his rehabilitation at Finch Farm. And now, providing an update on his fitness, the full-back has explained he is currently hitting all his targets and is hopeful he can be back in full training in six to eight weeks.

Speaking to Irish publication The 42, he said: “I’m good. I am better than I thought I would be coming off the pitch that night [against Leicester City]. I didn’t think the best that night.

“It was a significant injury but I am recovering well, hitting all the targets so far, being back on the grass over the last few weeks, not with the team but with the physios, back with the ball, and that.

“Slowly but surely, it’s starting to feel better. Without putting a target on it, because that’s not what they are doing as such, it’s about reaching points and scores in the gym before you can move on.

“At the minute I am doing all that. In six, eight weeks, maybe I will be back at it fully and feeling good.”

As a result of his rehabilitation, Coleman will miss the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and the Netherlands next month.

Asked about missing both games, the defender replied: “Much and all as Ireland is everything is to me, when you are so deep in that relegation, when you are with Ireland, your mind’s with Ireland; when you’re with Everton, it’s with Everton, as you are so focused on the last five games as I was injured, my focus at that time was on ‘Everton need to stay up and I can’t really help them in the last few games’.

“Once we did stay up, it was always a push for September, I was devastated as they are two massive games I’d love to be involved in. But it came too soon.”