Preston North End man gets 'all clear' after serious crash as road to recovery starts

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe says Finlay Cross-Adair is 'on the mend' after being given the all clear by a surgeon.

The 19-year-old was involved in a road traffic incident on October 5 and taken to hospital with serious injuries. Cross-Adair, who was out on loan with Scottish side Annan Athletic, was rescued from his wrecked Seat car by firefighters, on the A6 near Lancaster.

PNE's number 29, who is under contract until 2025, was rushed to Royal Preston Hospital and then discharged on Tuesday, 24 October. Preston boss Ryan Lowe paid a visit to see Cross-Adair in hospital and he's now on the long road to a footballing return.

"He is back, yeah," said Lowe, on Thursday. "I think he has had the all clear off the surgeon, to say he can start doing some minimal exercise now. I spoke to him on Tuesday. He had something in his stomach which took a bit of time to heal. But, he is on the mend. He is looking well and has a bit more beef on him now; he lost a lot of weight.

"The surgeon has looked at his knee and said everything looks fine, so he'll start slowly. He won't be anywhere near the levels; it's probably next season now for Fin. But, I am pleased to see him around, in the building and with a smile on his face again. He's on the mend to hopefully score some goals in the future, definitely."

In November, PNE director Peter Ridsdale told the Lancashire Post: "He had very serious, internal injuries from the road crash which, again, needed two very serious operations. They have been, I am delighted to say, successful. He had a very bad knee injury, but luckily it didn't affect the bone. So, his knee is rebuilding itself, but he's now on a program, back with us."