YOUNG Essendon key position prospect Scott Gumbleton has not given up on a return to the AFL in 2009, but admits that playing this year would be a bonus.

Gumbleton, 20, the No.2 pick in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft, has not appeared in a senior match this season after a serious back injury and subsequent operation.

"I obviously want to come back and play but ultimately I don't want to risk anything," Gumbleton told Essendon's official website.

"I'm just taking my recovery process week by week at the moment and will leave it to the medical staff and fitness staff to determine when I am ready.

"If I can play this year then it is a bonus but if not, I will focus on being 100 per cent fit for next year. I don't want to risk anything. I don't want to go out there a little bit sore and run the risk of being injured again."

The Bombers' football operations manager Paul Hamilton said the club's medical staff was handling Gumbleton's rehabilitation with an eye on 2010.

"There are certain hurdles he has to pass in order to progress his rehabilitation to the next phase," Hamilton said.

"At the moment we are meeting each hurdle in a conservative manner and we aren't putting a time-frame on it, but are progressing his recovery with the 2010 season in mind."

Gumbleton said he was taking part in skills training, but not doing contact drills or any training that required bending over or high agility.

"I am doing a lot of long distance running and stuff like that to rebuild my fitness base and keep my fitness base up," he said.

"Weights training is also an important part of my rehab because it builds my core and muscles that were affected during my operation.

"Every now and then Knighter (coach Matthew Knights) comes out to a recovery session and says, 'You are doing well' and we sit down once or twice a fortnight and see where I am at and how I am going."