Grant, 23, was playing in last season's Sydney derby in round three when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during the 2-0 loss to the Wanderers at Allianz Stadium.

But with little fanfare, Grant has been putting in the hard yards to rehabilitate his knee and he snuck on for a short cameo appearance against Melbourne City last week. Now he is putting his hand up to win back the starting position for Saturday night's derby at Parramatta Stadium, especially with a position opening up in midfield.

"I'd love to get out there and make a start, obviously it has been a very long time. My last start was actually against the Wanderers last season so it would be pretty ironic if that was to be [the] case," he said on Thursday. "Obviously, there's plenty of players to come in and fill Milos [Dimitrijevic's] role but I'd be happy just to be part of the game."

Grant said there were no nervous moments during his return in the 2-1 win over City, admitting most jitters had been dealt with in training. "When I first came back to training and started making tackles it was a little bit nerve-racking," he said. "But once I was out there on the weekend it just felt normal and I didn't even think about it, which is good."

Recognised as one of the most versatile players in the Sky Blues' squad, Grant has occupied virtually every position – bar striker and goalkeeper – since he joined the club in 2008. While it was in the 2012-13 season that he established himself as the first-choice right-back, he has slipped back down the pecking order there as Seb Ryall and Pedj Bojic battle to occupy that role.

The Canowindra-born utility doesn't mind where he plays, just so long as he can get back on the park and get himself back to full fitness.

"Obviously, it will take me a little of bit of time. I did play a few youth team games which got me back in the swing of things but to get used to the level of the A-League will take time," he said. "Hopefully, it comes pretty soon and I can get back out there and do what I can do."

The Sky Blues have strengthened their squad considerably since Grant was last involved and he knows it will be a tough road to get back in.

"It's good for the team to have a lot of depth but when I was injured I did notice how hard it would be to get back in the team," he said. "But I suppose it just pushes every player to train harder and try to get back in there and prove themselves. Overall, it's very good for the team and hopefully I can get back training and get going well enough to earn my spot back in the team."

Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold praised the way Grant had got himself back in shape and ready for his return to the senior squad.

"Rhyan's had two games in the youth team, he came on in the last 20 minutes of the game against Melbourne City and did very well, so he's come a long way," he said. "He's been out for a year but he's fit, he's lost a lot of weight and he's ready to go. He's extremely fit, he's trained the house down and there's no risk at all."

Arnold reckoned Grant was very much in the mix to replace the suspended Dimitrijevic but that he was one of a number of options to take the holding midfield role.

"He's a possibility, he played there against Melbourne City. Ali Abbas can play there, Peter Triantis did a fantastic job for us when he came on against [Melbourne Victory stay Gui] Finkler," he said. "So we have the options but we're still 48 hours out from the game and I'll take until after training [on Friday] before I decide."