Eduardo: I’m not Gunner rush my return
The Croatia international, 25, is set to miss the rest of the season and also this summer’s Euro 2008 after suffering an horrific injury following a tackle from Birmingham’s Martin Taylor last month. While the forward is expected to make a full recovery from surgery, that process could take anything from nine months to a year.
Some of the Brazilian-born player’s rehabilitation is likely to be in Croatia, but Eduardo is determined to take things one step at a time.
“I don’t think my injury was as bad as it looked on TV and it is now really up to me, in my head, how the recovery will go,” Eduardo said, speaking with Arsenal TV last night
“I feel excellent at the moment. I am a lot better, but it is not easy being at home all the time and being impatient through the way of my recovery.
“I will get the plaster removed and then I would like to go back to Croatia to continue my rehabilitation.
“The most important thing for me is to recover and to feel better, but I will not rush with that.
“I will wait for a professional to give me the okay because I want to make sure I am 100% fit.”
Eduardo revealed he can recall little about the actual incident itself.
“I looked at my foot and it was not straight. It was on the right. After that I couldn’t look at it anymore,” he said.
“I don’t remember if there was any pain or was it maybe panic or fear.”
Arsenal physio Gary Lewin treated Eduardo on the pitch at St Andrews, before he was rushed to Selly Oak Hospital for an emergency operation.
Eduardo said: “I can only thank Gary for the reassurance, care and knowledge he gave to me.”
Despite all of the furore which followed, Eduardo admits his isolation helped keep him clear of the controversy. “I was in hospital six days and I didn’t follow anything. I don’t know what happened on the television or in the newspaper,” he said.
“I was told Taylor came to visit, but I was prepared for my operation. I was asleep getting ready for theatre.
“The only thing I remember is my wife being there and she asked me, ‘did I want food?’ I said yes and she went to get some, but when she came back I was fast asleep. I was so exhausted. I do not have a memory of anything else because I was in shock.”
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