James McClean has provided a mostly positive update on the long-standing hip injury which it was thought may threaten his career.

Last week, the 37-year-old revealed that he was exploring the possibility that surgery may fix the problem after having received medical advice that he "had no business being on a football pitch".

The 37-year-old former Republic of Ireland international returned to Derry City for the start of this season but said the Brandywell's astroturf surface has exacerbated the issue.

The Candystripes' surface is in the process of being replaced, with the grass surface at Derry GAA's Celtic Park hosting at least five games until it is ready, beginning with last Friday's 1-0 win over Shamrock Rovers.

Speaking on his TikTok account, McClean explained that he had met with a specialist on Friday and the appointment "went better than I thought to be honest".

"I was expecting surgery or that he couldn't do surgery and then retirement but that wasn't the case," McClean continued.

"He gave me a bit of hope. He gave me an injection and that should hopefully give me a wee bit of relief in about a month to six weeks' time, to make me feel a wee bit like a footballer again."

McClean added that he is continuing his rehabilitation and will travel to Dubai for some warm weather training on Thursday.