Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Thomas’ season looks to be over
Thursday 22nd April 2010, 11:00AM BST.
Albion winger Jerome Thomas’ season looks to be over after being struck by the same back injury that wrecked his Portsmouth career.
But the Baggies star has played down the seriousness of the condition and promised to be fit to start pre-season training.
The 27-year-old even has some hope of being ready to face Barnsley in the final game of this season but will take no chances with his fitness.
Thomas said: “Unfortunately, I’ve had this recurrence of the back injury towards the end of this season. It’s called a Pars Defect – a fracture in the lower back.
“But we’ve had the scans and it’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a case of doing a bit too much this season.
“Hopefully, with a nice break now, I’ll be raring to go next season.”
Thomas made just three appearances in his year at Pompey after being struck down by the condition, but is confident the latest problem will not be as serious.
He said: “We know how to handle it now. The issue at Portsmouth is that they didn’t know how to deal with it, which is why I was out for so long. But now, after just a couple of weeks of rehab with the physios here, it is feeling a lot better.
“If we were in the play-offs and I needed to play I could push and make it. But now we’re up there is no need to be a hero about it. It is best I just get ready for pre-season.
“The last thing I want is to come back for pre-season and not be fit. But I might be back for the Barnsley game if everything goes 100 per cent right.
“The injury is quite common in sport especially in gymnastics, cricket and tennis, where there is more rotation of the hips.
“I think Denilson and Gael Clichy at Arsenal have had it this season and they’re both back playing. I think Rio Ferdinand had the same thing as well, so it is quite common at the moment.
“The physio staff here have been great and because we know what it is, we know how to treat it.
“It’s just a case of managing it. I’m not worried about it.”
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