The barn-storming Welsh centre has been sidelined since last October after suffering a dislocated shoulder during Sale's Heineken Cup triumph at Clermont Auvergne.
The injury couldn't have come at a more inopportune time for the popular 24-year-old as he was establishing a potent partnership with Kiwi superstar Luke McAlister and was being tipped by many for a possible call-up by Wales.
Instead, after suffering what was described by Sale as a 'complex and serious dislocation' which required surgery, Thomas has had to look on helplessly from the sidelines while his colleagues have battled on at home and abroad.
Now, however, after two successful warm-up appearances for Sale Jets, Thomas has been cleared to make his first-team comeback and will start this weekend against, of all teams, Clermont in Sale's final Heineken Cup pool clash. And, though the Sharks' hopes of reaching the quarter-finals have been extinguished, Thomas is viewing Saturday afternoon's clash at Edgeley Park as a red letter day.
"It feels like it's been a very long time since I last played," said Thomas. "It's funny as I've had people saying `Oh, it has gone quickly', but believe me, when you are in my shoes it hasn't felt like that.
Frustrating
"I'm not a good spectator at the best of times, so to be out for this amount of time has been really frustrating. The good thing is that while I've been injured the boys have been doing really well in the Guinness Premiership.
"It's probably been the most serious injury of my career. I did break my forearm two years ago and was out for a similar amount of time. But I then had to have a follow-up operation in the summer as it hadn't healed properly so, if anything, that was probably even more of a setback. However, in terms of sheer pain and rehabilitation work, this has definitely been the more serious.
"Trying to look at the positive side of things, in a way it's almost like I'm starting the season again. I played the first five or six games and then have had three months out but even while I've been out injured I've been busy working on other areas that you don't tend to concentrate when you are fully fit.
"I know it will take a bit of time to get back to my best but it's just a case of not rushing things and, hopefully, I'll soon be back showing the form I know I'm capable of."
The former Cardiff Blues star will also be playing his part in trying to help Sale blot out the memory of last week's devastating 37-14 Heineken Cup defeat away at Munster, which ended their hopes of making the last eight.
And Thomas says all the players are anxious to atone for what was a hugely disappointing display in Limerick and regain their confidence ahead of the resumption of their Guinness Premiership campaign a week on Saturday.
"Everybody knows that we underachieved out in Munster so all of the players are really looking forward to this weekend and to try to put things right," Thomas added.
"Even though we are out of the Heineken Cup, we still want to finish the competition in a good way and to get our confidence back ahead of our next league game at Worcester.
"It's important that we get a result against Clermont as we wouldn't want to be going up to Sixways on the back of two losses. And, after so long out, I'm just champing at the bit and can't wait to get back out there."
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