Nigeria’s Osaze Odemwingie is ready to bounce back from his injury nightmare and is targeting a return before the end of the season.
The 34-year-old winger is back in light training at the club after previously shutting himself away to cope with the psychological blow of suffering his cruciate knee ligament injury at Manchester City back on August 30.
“I am getting closer and closer to returning and that is all I’m thinking about now,” says Odemwingie.
“I’ve been inside doing a lot of rehab, watching the lads training through the windows, and that has helped because before that I was spending more time away and so wasn’t part of the group.
“Just being there with them has given me even more drive to keep working hard and make sure I come back from this injury stronger.
“Sometimes I just stop what I am doing and look at what they are doing and think that will soon be me again.
“Mentally it does help. In the first few weeks after the operation I felt a world away from being out there with them, kicking the ball and running around the pitch, but now it doesn’t seem too far away.
“Of course there are plenty of difficult weeks ahead, but I am in a good frame of mind and ready to come through these coming weeks and months.
“I am often speaking to players who have had the same injury and have returned to play at the highest level. That encourages me.
“I am hoping I can come back in 2015 and catch the end of the season. That is my goal.”
He admits the injury cut short his dream of following up a successful first four months at Stoke, plus a World Cup campaign with Nigeria, with a best-ever season in this country.
“I genuinely thought this could be my best season in the Premier League. I really had massive expectations for myself. In football, though, you can never take anything for granted.”
But speaking to the club’s matchday magazine, Odemwingie insists: “I am mentally ok. It is just more about making sure I keep building myself up now, strengthening my muscles again and doing all the right work for my knee.
“That is the only worry I have. I just want to make sure that I come back from this strong.”
And he says he has been taking instruction from coach Eddie Niedzwiecki and defender Marc Muniesa after they also suffered a similar injury.
“He (Eddie) has told me the biggest regret he has was trying to come back from it too quickly. He regrets that, even now.
“I am sure I will know when the time is right. I will feel it in my body. The minimum period was six months, but it could be nine months.
“Marc Muniesa did the same thing at Barcelona and he came back within six months – I want to do exactly the same.”
Odemwingie watched Sunday’s win over his old club, West Bromwich Albion, after deciding he was ready to return to the matchday experience.
He said: “Now I feel a bit closer to the team I’m sure I will begin to come to games and support from the stands.
“If the month of March is to be the time when I start training fully, then now will be a good time to start tuning myself into game mode and preparing my mind as well.”