Everton FC News: I can't wait for pre-season training to start, Phil Jagielka

Jul 1 2009 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

Jagielka: I can’t wait for pre-season return

Everton FC News: PHIL JAGIELKA has revealed his frustration at the long, lonely process of recovering from his cruciate knee injury.

But the Everton centre-back is looking forward to the resumption of pre-season training next week – so he finally has some company at Finch Farm.

Jagielka suffered the injury in April against Manchester City, which kept him out of the FA Cup final against Chelsea and is set to sideline him until November.

But he is at least relishing the chance to integrate with his team-mates in the final few months of his rehabilitation, which he is expecting a progress report on in four weeks’ time.

“Everything is on schedule,” said Jagielka. “It’s a long process which is starting to get to me a little bit but I’ve got to keep smiling.

“The rest of the boys will be back in soon enough and they will have some stories and a bit of banter to keep me going for another month or two.

“I’ve seen the Yak around plus Bainesy and Victor (Anichebe) have popped into the training ground as well but when everyone is back I’m sure the days will go a lot quicker.

“I’m still looking at November. I go to see the specialist in four weeks and he will give me an idea how it is all doing.”

As well as concentrating on repairing the damage to his knee, Jagielka, who swept the board at last season’s Player of the Year awards, is also faced with the prospect of rediscovering his athleticism.

“I can’t kick balls yet but it’s a case of getting the knee right and not doing too much too soon,” he added on evertontv. “With the muscle waste my body hasn’t been used to doing too much.

“I have to get my body used to being an athlete again and need to build up the strength in my knee.”

Meanwhile, Andy van der Meyde is expected to follow former Everton team-mate Lars Jacobsen to Blackburn Rovers.

The 29-year-old was released by Everton at the end of the season after making just 24 appearances since joining from Inter Milan in 2005.