Essien: "I'll Be Playing In A Month"

Chelsea's Michael Essien (L) with teammate Didier Drogba during training © PA Photo

February 20, 2009

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien says he should be back inside a month.

The Ghana international has returned to training after suffering a knee injury while playing for his country in a World Cup qualifier back in September.

"According to [rehabilitation physio Thierry] Laurent, it should not take more than one month for me to play actively again," Essien told 90minutes.

"He has assured me that once we go through a few other exercises for two or three weeks, I should be fit enough to return to the pitch."

On new manager Guus Hiddink, Essien added: "Hiddink has been around for quite a while and knows what it takes to get positive results out of nothing.

"He is a fantastic manager, so we hope he can bring the magic to give us the strength we need to mount a challenge in all competitions."