Playing two games in quick succession is too risky for Jonny Evans at the moment as he prepares to start for Northern Ireland on Friday night. Evans did reveal that he actually returned to training with City a week earlier than expected after recovering from an operation on his hamstring, and that training with Northern Ireland over the past couple of days has him feeling good.
Jonny Evans said: “Brendan Rodgers spoke to me on Friday afternoon and asked if I was able to play at the weekend against Brentford and maybe get some minutes from the bench. That opened up the possibility of coming away with Northern Ireland. I probably wasn’t meant to train with Leicester until this week, but I’ve been able to come away with the boys and get some minutes on Friday night. I will start the game and assess how I feel at half time. Both managers have discussed it and I will see how I am progressing. I’ll play one on this trip. I don’t think I‘ll be physically ready to play in two, it’s probably too risky with the short space of time. Then we’ll see where we are after that. I’m pleased with how everything has gone in the rehab and the last two training sessions with the Northern Ireland boys has been great for me and exactly what I needed. To play again is brilliant and I enjoy being part of it.”
Evans has been in and out of the City team since first suffering a foot injury last April, albeit the hamstring was much easier for him to cope with, knowing there was a definitive end date for his rehabilitation. He’s excited to be playing again.
Jonny Evans said: “With a hamstring injury you have a timescale on it so I could get my head around it a bit easier. The first month was not too bad and as you get closer you get more excited. The most difficult part has been trying to push, as I’m sure most players do, to get back quicker, nagging the physios to speed it up. A couple of weeks ago, we were getting close to the (Northern Ireland) squad being named and when it came up I was in the gym. I saw it going along the yellow bar (on the television) and I was looking for my name just in hope. It wasn’t there – I saw Evans but obviously it was my brother (Corry) and I was gutted I wasn’t going to be there. Then a week later things change so quickly. It’s safe to say on the Friday and Saturday nights I was buzzing, I couldn’t wait for the Brentford game. I’d missed that. Sometimes you get those things that get you excited. It’s good to have that feeling back and you cherish it a bit more.”
