Britton's on the recovery trail
2nd October
Leon Britton is close to taking a step forward in his recovery from the knee injury which has seen him miss the start of the new season.
The Swans midfielder is yet to play any part in the club's campaign, with two 45-minute displays in the two-match tour of American his only game-time so far.
Having sustained severe bruising on his knee, there was a chance it could have developed into a stress fracture unless Britton had complete rest. It means the 32-year-old has been forced to watch on as his team-mates continue to make an encouraging start in the Barclays Premier League and Capital One Cup.
But Britton could be back running as early as next week, with recent scans proving encouraging as he targets a full return next month.
"It is getting there slowly. The scan results were positive - the bruising on the bone is going but it's not completely gone yet," said Britton.
"I have to do some treadmill work and hopefully I will be out on the pitch running in a week or two.
"It's the longest period I have been out since I left school. It sounds crazy but I can't remember anything since I had a stress fracture in my back when I was 14.
"That kept me out for six months, but since then I can't remember anything that was more than a month maybe.
"You can't rush things like this. I have been doing the oxygen chamber, seeing if there are any injections or if there is anything weird and whacky we can do. I'm trying everything to speed up the recovery, but unfortunately you just have to wait.
"We are hoping maybe mid-November. I have another scan coming up in a couple of weeks when I hope to get the green light to train properly."
Ki Sung-Yueng and Jonjo Shelvey have provided boss Garry Monk with suitable cover in Britton's position, while youngster Jay Fulton and Tom Carroll have also featured there this season in the cup.
And despite his injury agony, Britton has been boosted by the results on the pitch.
"It has been a great start to the season," added Britton. "It's frustrating not being involved but I am delighted for the management and the players. It's great to see them doing well."
