Bristol City, Stoke City and the state of play regarding Benik Afobe's loan

The striker is back in full training at Failand following his ACL injury sustained in September

It was an inevitable choice of phrase but welcome nonetheless as Lee Johnson uttered the immortal five words that accompany any key player returning from injury as Benik Afobe set foot once again at Failand, training with the first-team squad.

"He's like a new signing", the Bristol City head coach rejoiced on Monday with, in must be said, real excitement and happiness in his voice at the prospect of having the striker back in his armoury.

Afobe has now trained for five days under Johnson's watch - four at Failand and once in isolation - and with the Championship likely to resume towards mid-June, with at least three weeks to work on his fitness, Afobe should be as close to match-ready as is possible.

It's presents a real complicated tactical conundrum for Johnson in how to accommodate the 27-year-old alongside his marquee January signing Nahki Wells, who was slowly but surely finding his feet in the Robins system, and arguably the club's player of the year in Famara Diedhiou plus the energy plus tactical diligence of Andi Weimann.

When you factor in Niclas Eliasson, Jamie Paterson and trying to find a place for Kasey Palmer, having been so potent in tandem with his best friend in the dressing room, and the fit-again Marley Watkins, that is a selection decision of which there are numerous correct answers.

However, Afobe's expected return also raises an intriguing question about his status for the club for the remainder of the campaign because, as it stands, his loan spell is in that terrible uncertainty of the term, "grey area".

Signed on August 8 until the end of the season with an option to buy, under normal circumstances Afobe would have played his final game for City, with the play-off final the last Championship fixture scheduled for May 25.

The conversation would have then moved on to whether or not he'll be a Bristol City player next season, as with 12 months remaining on his deal at the Bet365 Stadium, Stoke will no doubt consider him an asset to help raise some money.

But we still have nine matches of the season remaining, which are going to go beyond the June 30 threshold and effectively into the timeline of what would have been the 2020/21 season and summer transfer window.

It’s been established that loans can be extended in the short-term providing there's an agreement between parent club, loan and player and Bristol Live understands that City have secured Afobe, plus other loanees Filip Benkovic, Pedro Pereira and Markus Henriksen until they end of the 2019/20 season, whenever that may be.

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Afobe remains under contract with the Potters but, even in injury, has felt like a City player - undergoing his rehab either under the watch of former Arsenal physio Gary Lewin or consultation with the Robins medical team. Which probably says quite a bit as to where he sits in Stoke's order of priorities.

If Stoke possessed a recall clause, they can only exercise it during a transfer window - either in January or the summer, providing the latter was outside of the season.

Even if there is overlap between the summer window opening and the campaign finishing, Stoke aren’t permitted to recall him and he wouldn’t be eligible to play for them anyway.

From City’s perspective, that is the same as Liam Walsh's loan at Coventry, Taylor Moore at Blackpool or Joe Morrell with Lincoln and so on; even if the League One season is curtailed, they’re not eligible to play for the Robins until the 2020/21 campaign.

Johnson hinted as such on Monday when he said, "anybody that's eligible to finish the season for Bristol City is here", essentially confirming that Afobe will, at the very least, see the season out with City.

The discussion beyond that is, what next? And, to some extent Afobe is master of his own destiny as providing he proves his fitness over the anticipated nine games and adds to his three goals so far, it forces the decision on City.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a help in this instance as, on the previous timeline, Afobe may have managed 3-4 games maximum, now he gets a quarter of a season.

But, at the same time, it could also prove a hindrance because of the concessions that will need to be made in terms of formulating wage structures for next term.

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Even if a salary cap doesn't come into operation, City's £30.6m annual expenditure on wages, based on their 2018/19 figures, will almost certainly have to come down after so much time of zero revenue accrued.

To pay Afobe what he earns at Stoke will likely make him City's highest earner, ahead of record signing Tomas Kalas, and while that may have been conceivable earlier in the season, there's not as obvious an answer now.

Premier League football could change that, if Afobe scored nine in nine - or something ridiculous - that would further influence any decision, as would the sales of other high earners to make space on the wage bill.

But while, in the short-term, Afobe's City future appears secure, beyond the end of the 2019/20 season, whenever that may be, it's not quite as defined.