Aaron Ramsey is "a long way off" returning from injury, Cardiff City manager Omer Riza has confirmed.

The Wales captain suffered a hamstring injury while away with the national team out in Montenegro back in September and has not been seen since.

It was thought at the time that the 33-year-old would miss only a couple of weeks, but we are now three months on and Riza said after Wednesday's defeat by Preston North End: "Aaron Ramsey is a long way off being ready. He is still rehabbing and he will be ready when he is ready."

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Ramsey has played just 17 games since signing at the beginning of last season, missing the vast majority of the last campaign and now he is out until at least 2025 with this latest setback. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.

It has led some to question whether they will ever see Ramsey, whose contract is up at the end of the season, in a City shirt again. Asked whether he thought Ramsey would play again this term, Riza was cautious in his response.

"It is important we get him to the point where he's training consistently," he said.

"Then we can look at whether he will play and at what stage he will play. There is no point in me talking now, saying 'I think he will play on this date', because there have been a few reoccurrences, so it would be unfair of me to put pressure on him."

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The former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder is one of 13 players whose contract expires next June and after so many injury woes since his sensational return from Nice in the summer of 2023, conversations are doubtless being had about his future.

Quizzed on where the club were at with regards to Ramsey's future and any potential contract talks, Riza said: "Aaron is not fit at the moment, so the first thing, the focus is to get him fit and for us to help him get fit.

"There is always conversations ongoing with the board, with myself, the players, with contracts and that will continue.

"It's frustrating for me, frustrating for him, frustrating for the club and the fans. But he has had some bad injuries and we have to help him get through them.

"They are not just players, they are people as well. He will get through it and then we can assess where it all goes."