OLI Johnson will not be pushed too hard on his return to first team action with Guiseley.

Manager Mark Bower is keen to protect the striker who missed the majority of last season with a hip injury.

"He is looking strong and has done the overwhelming majority of the pre-season work but Oli has only played two months of football in the last 14 months," said Bower. "We need to look after him and whether he plays or starts every week is debatable."

Wakefield-born Johnson, who scored in last weekend's friendly against Bradford City, was playing for Norwich City only four years ago but arrived at Nethermoor in 2014 after being released by both Oxford United and York City.

"Having him fit will be a massive, massive boost," said Bower. "If we had been able to call on that little bit of magic and his ability to turn a game last season, would we have been as close to the bottom four as we ended up?

"We are looking after him and he is one player who you want to succeed - not just for the club and the manager, but for him as a person," he added.