However, Duran made an appearance as subsitute as the reserves beat Port Vale 4-1 in a friendly yesterday and had an immediate impact with an assist for one of Daniel Pacheco's goals. Gary Ablett was pleased with the Spaniard's return.
"It's fantastic to see Francis back in action and we're really pleased for him. Mentally I don't think I've met anyone as strong as him considering what the poor lad has gone through during the long time he's been out," the reserve team boss told the club's official website after the game.
"He has worked ever so hard to get back. He did some work with us on the field during pre-season but we limited the amount of contact on him during training because we didn't want to take any chances.
"He's a really good player and it is a bonus to have him back with us."