Return to action holds no fear for Cech
12/12/2006 - 17:21:02Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech insists he does not fear returning to the game when he has fully recovered from his fractured skull.
The Czech Republic international goalkeeper sustained the injury in the opening moments of Chelsea’s clash at Reading earlier this season.
Cech underwent emergency surgery on his skull and, following a period of rest, the Chelsea keeper has since embarked on a light rehabilitation programme.
But he now hopes to return to full training next month and is adamant he is not afraid of playing again.
In an exclusive interview on Chelsea TV, Cech said: “Everyone is asking if I am afraid when I am back. But Carlo (Cudicini) said the main thing – ’how can I be afraid of something I don’t even remember?’
“That is exactly what it is going to be with me, because I don’t remember anything from the game. I don’t even remember the injury.
“I woke up three days later and I had already 30 stitches on my head and it was difficult for me. But that game I don’t remember so I don’t think I am going to be afraid.
“Last week I spent a whole day in Oxford with the surgeon for some consultations and some tests. We are still waiting for the report from that but as far as I am concerned, we are looking very positive and very well.
“The brain is working very well and I haven’t lost anything I had so for the moment it is looking very well.
“There is still time to go with the skull fracture because it has not healed and I have to be patient with that, but hopefully that will go quickly as well.
“It is looking like about the middle of January that I will be able to start training in the goal.
“So I will just try to enjoy the time with my family, enjoy the time with the lads at the training ground and now I have plenty of time to work.
“When I am back I will be much stronger than before because I will have another three months, or eight weeks, to work hard and I am really enjoying this part of the injury, even though it is really hard to accept that you can’t play.
“You have to see everyone playing on the pitch, working, laughing during the training sessions – what I can’t do – but I am still enjoying myself because I know it is going to make me stronger.”
Cech’s rehabilitation programme is gaining momentum every day and the goalkeeper has been buoyed by his recent return to light training.
However, Cech admits he still feels tired after training sessions but overall his condition has improved.
Cech adds: “Of course I am tired when I do the training session because my body is still a little bit tired.
“But it has improved massively because I can work twice a day and at the end of the day, I am tired but I am tired because of the work, not just because of the walking. So it has been great to discover this.
“From time to time I get some headaches but I think it is probably only because of the fatigue. Overall everything is going well.
“I am really happy with that and I think everyone from the medical department is really happy with that. We tried to start working this week and it has been going very well.
“I feel better, improving every day. I can start training a little bit in the gym and the swimming pool.
“It has been a great week the last week because I could start working, I could even start to play tennis.
“I can be at the training ground and see the people I like to see, and that is better for my confidence and better for my feelings. I hope this way I can make it back earlier than expected.
“It has been seven weeks without running and I was just lying in my bed most of the time before.
“When I was running a little bit, I was really exhausted, even though it was only 15 minutes or something like that. It was enough.”
Cech has been forced to watch his team-mates qualify for the last-16 of the Champions League and reach the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup without his help and he admits it was a ‘horrible’ task at first.
He added: “It has been difficult from that start but I think I have improved in watching my team-mates as well because in the first three or four games it was horrible.
“I was so nervous that I was always walking around the telly because it was so difficult, you can’t help anyone. Then even at the stadium it is hard to control the emotions but most of the games we won so that was the better part of this.”
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