Josh Cullen has been sidelined since last December with an ACL tear.

Ireland midfielder Josh Cullen is closing in on a return from a long-term injury.

The Boys in Green star has been sidelined since he suffered an ACL tear last December in Burnley’s scoreless draw with Everton.

After almost 10 months battling back from the injury, he is set to make his return when Burnley’s Under-21s take on West Ham next Friday.

It’s a major step towards a first-team return, with struggling Burnley desperate to get their captain back onto the pitch.

Burnley manager Nicky Hayen has revealed Cullen’s comeback plans in his programme notes ahead of Friday’s clash with Wolves, according to Burnley Express reporter Matt Scrafton.

He posted on X: “Writing in his programme notes, Nicky Hayen has revealed Josh Cullen will play in an Under-21s game before he makes his return for the first-team. Understand that will be against West Ham next Friday.”

In Cullen’s absence, Burnley were relegated from the Premier League last season.

And their start to the Championship campaign has been disappointing. Hayen, who came in during the summer for Scott Parker, has struggled to get his side firing.

They had to wait until their ninth game of the season before they registered their first league win - a 4-0 victory away to Watford.

Burnley are currently 21st in the Championship, so the news of Cullen’s return is a massive boost.

The injury also meant that the 47-time capped Ireland star missed the World Cup play-off defeat to Czechia in March.

If all goes to plan at club level, the 30-year-old could feature in Heimir Hallgrímsson’s plans for the November Nations League games away to Austria and at home to Kosovo.

Cullen’s last appearance for Ireland was in last November’s window, when the Boys in Green secured World Cup qualification wins against Portugal and Hungary to book their play-off spot.