Eduardo set for pre-season return

Lewin confirms striker is making good progress

By Rob Parrish   Last updated: 11th June 2008

Eduardo Arsenal

Eduardo: Making good progress

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva could make a shock pre-season return to training with the Gunners.

The Brazil-born Croatia international was initially expected to be out for between nine and 12 months after suffering an horrific broken leg in a challenge with Birmingham's Martin Taylor in February.

But physio Gary Lewin, who is leaving his role with the club to join the England team next month, admitted the forward was making excellent progress.

The former Dinamo Zagreb forward has been undergoing extensive rehabilitation work back in Brazil, and while no date has been set for his return, he is due back much sooner than expected.

Confident

Lewin told the club's official website: "Hopefully, he will be back doing training during pre-season.

"We are setting no timescales for Eduardo because we don't want to put him under pressure, but we are confident he will make a full recovery."

Lewin confirmed Czech Republic winger Tomas Rosicky was making excellent progress after a campaign blighted by injury which also kept him out of Euro 2008.

"Tomas has had surgery on his knee and we expect him to be flying by pre-season," Lewin added.

"We have had some real nasty injuries and I think that is part and parcel of the game.

"Look back at the years, we have been successful and we have had luck with injuries and not picked up many nasty injuries. Hopefully that will be the case next season."