Dave Winfield delighted to be back in action for Shrewsbury Town reserves

Winfield started the match against Oldham Athletic, which Town lost 3-2, and felt no ill-effects from the hamstring injury which has blighted his start to the season.

Manager Graham Turner has said it is possible that former Wycombe Wanderers centre-back could make the bench for this Saturday's trip to Crawley.

And Winfield expects to discuss the situation with the manager later this week.

Asked if he would be ready for a place on the bench this weekend, he said: "It's a conversation to be had with myself and the physio and the gaffer.

"No doubt we will have that towards the latter part of the week and take it from there.

"But my hamstring felt absolutely fine. It was a good run-out and It was important to get that in my legs.

"We are ahead of schedule and it is credit to the physiotherapy team here. Things are going well."

Having missed the whole of Shrewsbury's League One campaign so far because of his injury, which struck in pre-season, Winfield added that it was a huge relief to have returned to match action.

He said: "It's a huge lift. Training is absolutely fine and it will get you to a certain level but match-time and match fitness is what you need.

"It's the unpredictability of playing in a match environment that really improves your mental state and I was pleased to get out there."

"It is good to be back. It is nice to get a game under my belt and it is something that I have been looking forward to for the last few weeks."

Reserve team manager Mike Jackson said Winfield is likely to be handed a further spell of action when the second-string travel to Tranmere Rovers next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Town striker Tom Bradshaw was handed a 10-minute run-out towards the end of Wales Under-21's European Championship qualifier against Moldova last night. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.

And on-loan Aston Villa frontman Graham Burke played the last eight minutes of Ireland Under-21s' 4-0 home defeat to Germany.