Bridge winning fitness battle

Jim van Wijk

The England international missed the latter part of the last campaign after breaking his ankle in the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Newcastle in February.

It had been expected the full-back would not be available again to manager Jose Mourinho until September at the earliest.

However, Bridge is progressing ahead of schedule and stepped up his rehabilitation after the Blues squad returned to their training complex in Cobham, Surrey this week.

“I have been doing a lot of work over the summer, can now run and do most things. The bad leg has not quite got that spring in it yet, but that should come over the next month or so,” said Bridge, who turns 25 at the start of next month.

“It gets better each day, and if it keeps going that way, hopefully I will be back sooner than expected.

“I am hoping to be ready for the start of the season. I might not be able to be competitive until the start of the season, but if I keep my fitness up, hopefully I should be able to play.”

Bridge added: “They said I would not train until September and then look to play after that, so I am well ahead of schedule and am keeping my fingers crossed.”

The former Southampton left-back, however, will face competition from new £8 million signing Asier del Horno for his first-team place in the new season.

Despite plenty of effort, however, the Spanish international has been the only high-profile addition to the playing squad which lifted the Premier League and Carling Cup trophies last season, although striker Hernan Crespo will return to Stamford Bridge following his successful loan spell with AC Milan.

The likes of Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips are just two targets which have, so far, eluded the Bluesfailed to be landed, and now Parma president Guido Angiolini claims Chelsea’s hopes of signing Italian striker Alberto Gilardino are slim.

The Blues begin their pre-season campaign at Wycombe next week, before meeting Benfica ahead of a three-game tour to the United States.

Skipper John Terry hopes to be able to lead his side against Wanderers following surgery on his foot. The England centre-half had an operation during May, which saw him sit out the final two matches of the Blues’ triumphant Barclays Premiership campaign.

Terry, named the Professional Footballers’ Association Footballer of the Year, said: “I have been in over the summer, doing bits of running and seeing the physios. There is a little bit of scar tissue which needs to be broken down, but the masseurs are going to do that and I am ready to go.”

Midfielder Frank Lampard (foot) and defender Ricardo Carvalho (shoulder) also went under the surgeon’s knife during the close season, and both are progressing well.

Frank Arnesen, meanwhile, will start his new job as sporting director at Chelse at the start of September.

Tottenham last month accepted a significant cash settlement from the Blues which paved the way for the Dane to move across London after Spurs had threatened to lodge a complaint of an illegal approach unless a suitable offer was received.