Fabian Delph on the road to recovery

[Legion]

From Pravda:

Fabian Delph is ready to step up his rehabilitation after discarding his crutches following surgery on a serious knee injury.

The midfielder suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] in his left knee, as well as a torn meniscus, during training in April.

Six weeks after going under the knife, the 20-year-old is upbeat about his recovery and hopes to step up work in the gym in the coming weeks.

While his team-mates are either away representing their countries or taking a break, Delph has spent most of the off-season having treatment at Villa's Bodymoor Heath headquarters.

But the England under-21 ace is buoyed by the progress he has made.

He told AVTV: "It is a couple of months since it happened. It is six weeks since I had my operation so I can throw away the crutches and start walking and do a lot more.

"So hopefully I'll be getting a lot more strength in my leg and I'll be fighting and coming back strong.

"I managed to do my meniscus as well, so I've had that stitched back together.

"If I had just done my ACL I'd be flying now. I'd be doing a lot more but I have to wait three months for this to settle down.

"In six more weeks, I should be able to go on the bike and do a lot more weights on my legs. Then it is just a matter of time."

Delph revealed how the day-to-day guidance of club physios Alan Smith, Stuart Walker and Paul Rastrick and support from his team-mates have helped keep his spirits high.

He added: "Alan is vital. He is a very good physio. There is not just him, there is Stuart and there is also the doctors and Razza.

"Every one of them have been brilliant with me. The main thing is keeping me smiling and telling daft jokes and just keeping me happy.

"The treatment has been superb since I've done it, so I can't thank them enough. I have definitely formed a bond with them now.

"My team-mates have been brilliant with me. Everybody has been texting me asking how I am and the medical staff are absolutely superb as well.

"So I can't ask for any more, to be honest. It has been perfect."

Delph's operation was carried out by respected surgeon Andy Williams and he is delighted with the results.

The midfielder hopes he can come back stronger from the injury, but accepts he will have to be patient.

He said: "The surgeon Andy Williams is, if not the best, one of the best in the UK.

"He operated on me and he was more than happy with the operation. I am confident in him so hopefully I can just build up the strength in my legs and protect that ligament.

"I am confident I can come back stronger, the physios are and so is the surgeon, so it is just a matter of time before I am back.

"If I am stronger hopefully I can push on. I'm going to get back towards the end of the season and then it should take a couple of months before I get the sharpness back and stuff like that.

"But I'll be patient and hopefully everything will work out.

"I'd like to be back as soon as possible but because of the meniscus that I tore, they would rather me take the full nine months. But I'll try and persuade them to get me back in seven!

"You have got to be patient. There will be days where I am getting frustrated but, as long as the physios and me realise what needs to be done, then, I should be fine."

The next few months are all about taking gradual steps, as Delph looks to build up his strength.

He will begin a weights programme when his team-mates return to training next month.

Delph added: "I've been put on weight programmes. I said I would prefer to start it when the boys are back in, in July.

"I don't want to push it now because I'll end up bigger than John Carew! The weight circuits they have put me on are very good and they suit my build so hopefully I can get stronger."

[PaulWinch again]

Get well soon Fab, sounds positive though.

[bob]

Devastated that he will be out for so long, but sounds like all has gone well so let's hope he can get back to full fitness and start forcing his way into the side.

[supertom]

Glad to hear he's working his way back. And getting on those weights will do him no harm. A bit of added beef and it'll certainly help him.

He's gonna be quality. Seems to want to play football in the right way. Lets be honest, can you really call what Sidwell or Coker do, football? Probably not according to Beckenbauer.

[peter w]

Always a worry with these types of injuries more than breaks. A worry that the player may lose that touch of pace and the ligament will never recover its strength fully and become slightly weaker.

Still, on the major positive sign is his age. So fingers crossed he comes back as strong as before the injury.

[treeve1]

Delph with NRC's build will be the best midfielder we have had since Platt. I am convinced he's our future CM because he has what so many of our players would love to have, and that's routine class on the ball rather than great effort that ocassionally delivers. You look at Wiltshere at Bolton and Ramsey at the Arse and then to a lesser extent Rodwell, and I think we have got the best of the bunch. Next world cup for those four is the next Gerrard, Lampard etc but fulfilling potential is not alwyas that easy.

[eamonn]

Yeah, like Peter has said, I would worry a bit about his ligament and how Delph worrying about it might affect him psychologically. Getting crocked again seems to be the mitigation for Downing wimping out of challenges. On the up-side, the way Fabian dives in, perhaps it's better if he becomes a bit more controlled with his tackling.

[villasjf]

There is never a good time to get injured but Fabian was just breaking through to making a few more starts. He looks class and can pass the ball, and has vision. Good luck and lets all hope he has a full recovery.

[VillaZogmariner]

He said: "The surgeon Andy Williams is, if not the best, one of the best in the UK.

I've heard he's too good to be true.

[Mazrim]

He said: "The surgeon Andy Williams is, if not the best, one of the best in the UK.

I've heard he's too good to be true.

You should know. He's on the Street where you live.

[pablopicasso_10]

in a strange way, this injury might be good for him...

for starters, he is bulking up...

secondly, if it does calm down his erratic tackling, then that can only be a good thing...

hopefully, he can come back stronger, and be a better all round player for it...

[SoccerHQ]

Expect a december return like Downing.

Let's hope people don't get on his back if he's not amazing when he comes back from injury.

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

in a strange way, this injury might be good for him...

for starters, he is bulking up...

secondly, if it does calm down his erratic tackling, then that can only be a good thing...

hopefully, he can come back stronger, and be a better all round player for it...

Not many (any?) players come back from an anterior cruciate injury as better players. For example, Shearer had to modify his game to take into account he wasn't as fast and couldn't turn as quickly (still, he bulked up his elbows to compensate).

I think we need to be ready to re-set our expectations... though surgery techniques have come a long way since the 990s so here's hoping.

[Brend'Watkins]

in a strange way, this injury might be good for him...

for starters, he is bulking up...

secondly, if it does calm down his erratic tackling, then that can only be a good thing...

hopefully, he can come back stronger, and be a better all round player for it...

Not many (any?) players come back from an anterior cruciate injury as better players. For example, Shearer had to modify his game to take into account he wasn't as fast and couldn't turn as quickly (still, he bulked up his elbows to compensate).

I think we need to be ready to re-set our expectations... though surgery techniques have come a long way since the 990s so here's hoping.

Sure have Nick, otherwise Delph would be hobbling about with leeches strapped to his knee.

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

I like to think I wear my age well!

Cough (and splutter)