CENTRE-back Kenny Milne looks like he has lost his two-year battle for fitness with Scunthorpe United.

The 30-year-old Scot has not been able to recover from the knee injury he sustained in only his second competitive game for the Iron in a Carling Cup tie at Hartlepool, in August 2008.

Although manager Nigel Adkins insists that a decision has still to be made, effectively it already has.

The writing was on the wall when Milne was taken off before half-time during last Wednesday's friendly at Brigg.

He did not feature at Winterton on Saturday and now looks set to be the first United player for eight years to see his career finished by injury.

The last was midfield man Nigel Pepper who, like Milne, was injured in only his second game for the club, stretchered off with a broken leg on his home debut against Kidderminster.

Like Milne, Pepper fought for the best part of two seasons to get fit – and like Milne, failed to do that.

Milne, who flew to a top specialist in America just before last Christmas in a desperate attempt to save his career, raised hopes he had done that with three appearances in the second half of last season.

But his hopes of being fighting fit for the start of the new campaign have been blown apart in the past week.

It will be a blow too to Iron fans, who have taken the Scot to their hearts during his battle with injury.

But, unable to cope with the first three gentle friendlies, it is unlikely United will extend his contract which runs out at the end of this month.

"I really feel for Kenny, he has been to hell and back with all he has been through with his rehabilitation," said Adkins.

"He had a great career in Scotland, but since coming here to Scunthorpe he has been injured for most of the time.

"We have explored every avenue over the past two years to try and help him recover.

"But at some stage you have to reach a decision about how far we can keep pressing.

"His movement last week was not what I would like to see – and not what he would like to see.

"It's hard for him because he is not performing at the level he knows he can perform.

"Kenny is a great person but he is not in a nice place at this moment in time.

"We are trying to do everything that we can to help him in the situation he has been placed in."

Adkins faces a tough decision that will leave him gutted as, when he brought Milne down from Falkirk two years ago, he felt he had captured someone who could have a big role to play at the club.

Although the player did show signs of real quality, he has not been able to nurse his big frame back to fitness.

Now the time has come where a decision has to be made, one that may well see the end of the road for Milne's United career.