Lia tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the Pre-Season Cup back in July and it ended his campaign before it had even started.

But after an operation and several months of hard work, he is ready to resume training once again.

"The hard work is behind me and hopefully I stay fit," Lia told the Dominion Post.

"I'm not too sure about how it would be playing games at the moment it's still a little bit stiff if I do a couple of days in a row. It's now just a matter of me getting back into full training again, and in a couple of weeks it will be full games as well."

Lia also revealed that the security of a two-year deal at the club had been a big factor in helping him avoid the temptation to rush his recovery.

He said: "I've seen a lot of people have a one-year deal and they rush back from injury too early to try and get back on the pitch, so it was good not to have that pressure."