Liam Boyce's first season in English football has not gone as he or Burton Albion would have planned - so far.
But close to a month on from his first appearance for the Brewers, and seven on from the day he ruptured the ACL in his left knee in a pre-season friendly at Shrewsbury Town, the Northern Ireland international knows patience is still a virtue.
Boyce scored on his debut in a 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa on February 3, and he has made four further outings since then, including a first start in the 2-1 win at Barnsley last week.
He played 71 minutes in that game as Nigel Clough and physio Nick Fenton look to ease the club's record signing back in with no detrimental reaction.
Since his competitive return, the ex-Ross County man has shared Burton's striking load with Derby County loanee Darren Bent, and both are likely to want a more consistent spell in the side over the coming weeks.
Boyce, though, knows it is not as simple as racing straight back into three 90-minute performances a week so soon after such a serious injury.
"I would say to you now, 'I can play 90 minutes', but it's not up to me," said Boyce.
"Sometimes in games I don't feel as sharp as I used to before I got injured, so I've been doing training to try to gradually build that up.
"The way the gaffer has been playing me, it's been giving me a chance to go on and give everything for 20 minutes, instead of playing 70 minutes not at full speed.
"They know what they are doing, Fents has been talking to the gaffer.
"So I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully I can help the team in any way possible.
"Touch wood, I've never been injured for longer than two weeks until this happened, so it's all new to me.
"So it's having to step back and people saying to you, 'listen, it's probably best you don't play 90 minutes, you're only going on for 20 minutes to give everything'.
"You have to learn. Obviously it was a bad injury, I don't know anything about it so the physio is going to tell me what to do.
"Because I want to play and I want to score goals and I want to win games, I'd say to you I'd play 90 minutes in my first match back.
"But it just doesn't work like that."
With 12 games to go this season and only three points separating the Brewers from safety, there is still time for Boyce to have a decisive say on Albion's survival bid.
Getting among the goals will be the best way to do that - and the 26-year-old is relishing the chance to play his part down the home straight.
"They brought me here to score goals," he added.
"I got one in my first game and it didn't amount to any points.
"I want to help and I've been watching all the games and seeing how close we are, the chances we've created.
"We need the first goal to hang onto and to build your way into a game.
"Hopefully I can start playing more - I've gradually been working my way up.
"Hopefully it continues and I don't have any mishaps - I haven't since I got injured - and I can help the team when it comes to crunch time."
