James Vaughan begins long journey back from injury

Mar 19 2008

JAMES VAUGHAN today promised to meet the challenge of regaining full fitness head-on after successfully coming through his latest operation.

The Everton striker returned to Finch Farm yesterday for the first time since he underwent surgery in Colorado to correct a cartilage problem in his left knee.

There were fears when manager David Moyes confirmed that Vaughan had had another fitness setback that the 19-year-old would be out for the rest of the season.

However, Vaughan is bullish about his prospects of playing again before the end of the campaign but knows he must knuckle down in the next few weeks to accelerate his recovery.

“I’m in very good spirits,” Vaughan reported. “I know I’ve got to work really hard and that it’s a bad time for it to happen to me but I’m ready to just get on with it.”

Vaughan, who is still on crutches and must take things steadily for the next couple of weeks, was operated on by Dr Richard Steadman, the man who was responsible for performing the procedure that saved his career two years ago.

“I knew I was in good hands going to see Dr Steadman because he’s seen me before,” said Vaughan, whose last appearance for the Blues came in the 1-0 win against Reading on February 9.

“I can do quad sets and I will be able to do some upper-body stuff with weights.”

Despite Vaughan’s positive outlook, manager David Moyes is still faced with a striker crisis ahead of West Ham’s visit this weekend as both Andrew Johnson and Victor Anichebe are battling to be fit, while Thomas Gravesen, Tim Cahill and Manuel Fernandes are also struggling.

Scans confirmed that Johnson strained his groin during the 1-0 defeat against Fulham last Sunday, while Anichebe missed that match after damaging his hip in training and - at this stage - it is odds against them being involved.

“We’ll do everything we can to get (AJ) fit for the weekend,” said head physio Mick Rathbone. “Victor jarred his hip in training on Friday and it’s very much a case of ‘wait-and-see’ with him at the minute.”