Khano Smith?s straightforward knee surgery is proving to be anything but.

The former Dandy Town frontman finally resumed full training this week following his off-season surgery but best guesses put his return to Major League Soccer action at between a month and six weeks.

Smith, signed after scoring against New England on a 2005 pre-season tour, was originally expected to return from the routine knee operation as early as late pre-season, but problems with his rehabilitation have left him floundering on the sidelines for months.

Smith was felled by a challenge from French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff in the MLS Eastern Conference Finals last season and is still yet to return to action for the Boston-based team.

The injury kept him out of the MLS championship decider against Los Angeles Galaxy and the off-season surgery that followed was expected to be nothing more than straightforward.

Although he missed out on the chance to play during the Revolution?s pre-season tour of Bermuda, at that time he was thought to be only ?a couple of weeks? away from playing.

But a series of setbacks to the ligament surgery have robbed Steve Nicol?s men of the services of the left winger ? the scorer of rare but spectacular goals during his first term stateside ? for the opening eight games of the season.

?Khano?s situation is slightly different,? coach Nicol said this week.

?Usually, someone breaks a bone or something, but with Khano, his ligament has to grow as well.?