Ghana international Michael Essien has revealed he is undergoing a gruelling training regime in a bid to return for Chelsea after months on the sidelines.
The midfielder has been in the treatment room after damaging his knee at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.
The 27-year-old said: 'I'm in at 9.30 every morning and I don't leave until five and that's seven days a week. I'm spending lots of time in the pool as that's a good way to help the healing.
'I was hoping to be back available for the home game against Inter but the healing has taken a bit longer than expected because my knee kept swelling up.
'In two weeks I ended up having four lots of surgery to try and get the fluid away from the area.
'Finally it seems to be okay and I am making progress. I know I just have to be patient and give it time to settle down and heal.
Writing on his own personal website, Essien added: 'On a positive note I'm feeling mentally strong and I try to stay philosophical about injuries.
'There are worse injuries than mine and there are people in the world suffering with far more serious problems than this.'