Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe has admitted it’s been tough to be on the sidelines for so long but is happy to finally be back in training.
Axel Tuanzebe said “You’re just looking at the other lads progressing, the games being played, just counting the amount of games you’re missing and getting messages left, right and centre, asking when you’re coming back and stuff. It’s tough in that respect, but I’ve had good people around me who have kept me going, [who] motivate me every day, and I motivate myself to know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. [I’d like to say thanks] especially to the rehab and S and C [strength and conditioning] guys. I’m constantly with them every day, and trying to strengthen any weak parts and do general conditioning, so it’s been really good. It’s just good to be back among the lads in training again, as it’s been a while. Over the last 12 months, you can say, I’ve not been able to get my foot down and just get going. I was always breaking down with an injury but I trust in the rehab team. I’ve been working closely with John Davin and he’s helped me a lot so, this time, I want to get rock and rolling. It’s been several injuries. It’s been unfortunate with the times of the injury and pretty much all of them there was nothing I could have done about it. It’s good to be back, I’m grateful to be back to have a few games among the lads.”
Tuanzebe looked as though he was primed to have a breakout season at United last year, as he slowly started to establish himself in the first team with several strong performances. However, the versatile defender has since gone on to suffer a string of various injuries that have kept him out for nearly a year, with his last appearance for the first team coming against Colchester United in the Carabao Cup on December 18, 2019. Sadly, yet more injuries have hampered Tuanzebe’s progress since football’s restart and he has admitted it’s been tough to be out of action for so long. With any luck, the 22-year-old’s injury torment has finally come to an end. He has recently stepped up his fitness at Carrington after returning to training and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes he should be available again following the international break.
