Everton have offered an interesting behind-the-scenes glimpse of the recovery process Andros Townsend has been undertaking.
The Blues squad returned to Finch Farm at the start of the week to begin their pre-season preparations. Frank Lampard's side are due to face Arsenal, Minnesota United and Blackpool over the course of the next month - with the club also confirming they want to organise a friendly against Dynamo Kyiv before the 2022/23 campaign gets underway.
While the majority of the squad who weren't involved in international football over the break came back to take part in a number of drills and testing sessions to assess their condition after a few weeks off, things are a little different for Townsend. The winger took part in his own sessions away from the rest of the group as he continues his recovery from injury.
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The 30-year-old was ruled out of the latter stages of last season thanks to an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in the first half of Everton's 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup in March. The former Eagles man lasted just 16 minutes of the match before going down in the corner after a bright start, being replaced by Demarai Gray.
There was no timescale originally set for Townsend's return other than him being out for the remainder of the campaign. However, the player's father revealed last month that he doesn't believe his son will be back any time soon.
Troy Townsend told The Guardian podcast : “He needs to get back and make the knee stronger and see where the season will take him, but it definitely won’t be the first half [of next season], I will imagine. He’s always said that he’s never been a good patient and that he wants to get back out onto the field of play.
“I think the reality of this injury is that getting back out onto the field of play is going to be a long, long time away. Mentally, that takes a massive strain on you when you have been active so much, and it’s another part of being a professional footballer that you have to try and balance as much as you can."
Everton's latest behind-the-scenes video from Finch Farm, showing the squad returning to the training complex, has given some insight into the work that Townsend is undertaking.
One particular clip shows the winger in the gym with a number of his other teammates, performing one-legged squats in an attempt to strengthen his left knee. The scar from his recent surgery is clearly on display while he grimaces to complete his work.
He clearly remains a hugely popular figure in the dressing room too, with Yerry Mina making sure to give Townsend a warm welcome with a hug despite receiving a massage at the time the winger walked into the room with him.
The video doesn't show the individual work on the grass that the 30-year-old took part in to start the week. However, it is clear that the rehabilitation work is progressing.
But, this is potentially where the words from Troy Townsend should ring true. While it is promising to see the winger still integrated with the rest of the squad and clearly working hard to get back to full fitness, this could still be a long road to recovery.
There has still been no exact timeframe yet set for Townsend's return to action, and it's likely both the club and the player will want to keep a lid on something like that to temper any expectations, and relieve any pressure around the rehabilitation process and the speed in which things are progressing.
Evertonians will, of course, hope that he's back sooner rather than later - but the main priority for everybody involved is making sure that the injury is fully recovered to make sure he can return at 100%.
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