Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris says he is feeling closer to a Premier League return after making his behind-closed-doors comeback following the knee injury he suffered last month.
The 36-year-old injured his knee during the victory against Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 5. Lloris' team-mate Fraser Forster has been stepping up in his nine-game absence with performances that have earned the 35-year-old a recall to the England squad.
Lloris made his return to action for Tottenham on Thursday after six-and-a-half weeks as he played 45 minutes in a training ground friendly against Ipswich on Thursday.
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"It was good to be back on the pitch, to have that reference," said Lloris in a club interview.
"Obviously, it’s been a long journey, but step by step I’m closer to a return. I’ll keep working and I’d like to thank all the staff for their help."
The World Cup-winning Frenchman, who retired from international duty after the last tournament in Qatar and received a tribute from the France fans on Friday night at the Stade de France, explained how he suffered the injury against Pep Guardiola's men.
"It was a collision with Rodri and when he hit my right leg, I felt a movement. My knee didn’t respond. I was ready for the last kick of the game, and I kicked a strange ball!" he said.
"At that moment, I realised something was missing. The knee was swollen the next day. Everything feels okay now. I’ll continue to go step by step."
Forster's form between the sticks will hand Lloris all the time he needs to make sure he is 100% ready to return to Premier League football.
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