City have left the door ajar for injured winger Kyel Reid to earn a new contract.

Reid has been sidelined since January when he ruptured his cruciate ligament in a challenge from Tony McMahon against Sheffield United.

The serious injury cast a huge doubt over the Valley Parade future of Phil Parkinson’s first signing, with his present deal expiring this summer.

But with Reid progressing in his recovery work, City will invite him back to start pre-season before making any decision.

Parkinson said: “Reidy is a different case (to the other out-of-contract players). The most important thing is that he makes a full recovery and he’s doing well in his rehab’.

“There’s not an immediate rush. He is going to come back pre-season to see how he is.

“We just want to see how he responds to the last couple of months and then we will sit down with him.

“He is a fit lad and a real athlete. You expect him to come back from this.”

But City are not commenting on reports that they have made an offer to central midfielder Gary Liddle.

Reports are strongly linking them with a two-year deal for 27-year-old Liddle, who last week rejected the chance to stay at Notts County.

Sources in Nottingham claim his decision was made on family grounds. The Middlesbrough-born player wants to be closer to home in the north-east because his partner is due to give birth next month.

Liddle, who can also play at the back, was in the same FA Youth Cup-winning Boro side in 2004 as Andrew Davies and Jason Kennedy.

But he never broke through with his home-town team and joined Hartlepool two years later, going on to make 283 appearances in six seasons.

Liddle moved to Meadow Lane in 2012 and equalled a club record that had stood for 30 years when he was on the pitch for every minute of his first campaign.

Despite a lengthy absence due to an ankle injury, he also played a key part in last season’s relegation survival act – which included a goal in County’s 1-1 draw at Valley Parade.

The arrival of another central midfielder to follow Billy Knott and Matty Dolan would appear to spell the end for Nathan Doyle.

Parkinson confirmed that more meetings were taking place with existing players over the next few days. He said: “We will probably know more by the end of the week.”

Meanwhile, City have agreed to send a mainly youth-team squad to Ossett Town for a friendly on Tuesday, July 22.