Brown posts photos of his long-awaited return to team training at Harlequins

Harlequins full-back Mike Brown has taken another positive step in recovery from a long term knee injury as he has started team training again with the Gallagher Premiership club.

After having surgery last November, the 34-year-old was expected to be out for nine months with the problem which he picked up during pre-season training, which would have included involvement in England’s World Cup training camps. 

Eight months after going under the knife, the 72-cap England international has now shared photos on Instagram of him training with his team again, with stage one of his recovery completed. 

It may still be a while before Brown is back and able to add to his record haul of appearances for the club. But with the season not yet running again, he should be able to play his part in a campaign which had previously been written off for him.

The suspension of the Gallagher Premiership season in March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic means Paul Gustard’s side still need to play nine regular league matches, as well as the Premiership Rugby Cup final against Sale Sharks which was due to take place on the weekend all play was halted. 

With Quins sitting in seventh place in the league, seven points behind fourth-place Northampton Saints, Brown could have a major say in how the south-west London club’s season unfolds when rugby resumes in mid-August as they push for playoff and Heineken Champions Cup qualification places.

Alongside Brown in his post was Nathan Earle, another player who had been sorely missed throughout the season as he recovered from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament suffered in April 2019 after a prolific first season at the Stoop. 

While all sides will see many of their previously injured players return to action at some point when the season eventually resumes, few had such a sizeable and damaging injury list as Quins who will be thrilled that some familiar faces are back on the training ground.