Forward Kieran Harper says he has the "mental strength" to overcome his latest knee injury setback.

The 22-year-old had a minor procedure a fortnight ago to release the iliotibial band in his right knee after experiencing soreness at training.

Harper said it is a small hurdle in his quest to return to the field and is expecting to resume full training in a "couple of weeks".

"It’s a cumulative effect on my ankle and asymmetrical running pattern, so over time (I) wore it down and made it a bit tight," Harper told NMFC.com.au.

"In one training session this all came about and (I) could hardly run with pace and without pain."

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Harper has endured a difficult run in recent years, undergoing two bouts of ankle surgery in the 2014 pre-season, followed by another procedure to clean up both ankles in the recent off-season.

"The last few pre-seasons haven’t been great for me and this year I was starting to get some continuity in my footy," Harper said.

"I was starting to play some games without any problems and then this came along."

Despite the latest setback, Harper said he is maintaining a positive attitude, especially after overcoming his persistent ankle problems.

"(For) this just to pop up right at the start of the season hasn’t been great but we can deal with it, and I’ve got the mental strength to cope with that sort of stuff now," he said.

"It might help me late in the season being fresh (while) everyone else is pretty tired.

"I’m mentally strong enough to battle through these injuries and get out the other end."

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