Irons top striker prospect on recovery road

Brilliant under 23 prospect striker Xande Silva is puttin his troubles behind him after after undergoing surgery in the summer.

The 22-year-old Portuguese striker is still in the early stages of a long road to recovery, having suffered significant weight loss following an emergency operation on his stomach.

But with a big future predicted for him he is determined to make a complete recovery as he bids to force his way into Manuel Pellegrini’s first team plans.

He is focusing solely on regaining his full strength and fitness and is happy to again be back within the training ground atmosphere after his extended time away.

But he admits: “It was a difficult time. I am a young, healthy guy and so it wasn’t good to be in hospital for one month. It was a long time, and hard for me, but now everything is good – I am back working, and looking forward to doing what I love again, playing football and scoring goals.

“I am very grateful for all the help I have had from everyone at the club, especially the medical team. They are really good guys, who care a lot about the players, and they have given me everything I need to get back to the best possible condition.

“I am happy, because I am back at the training ground, with my friends, in the environment that I know. I missed London when I was away, so I feel much better now and I believe I can come back even stronger in the near future.”

Head of Medical Services Richard Collinge and his team have been overseeing Xande Silva’s recovery and rehabilitation programme since his return to England, with much of the care focusing on reversing his weight loss and gradually rebuilding his strength.

“It has been tough for Xande,” said Collinge. “He fell unwell while on holiday in Portgual and so had to receive emergency treatment and surgery there. We were in regular contact with the medical team caring for him at that time, and then obviously took over his care as soon he was well enough to fly back to the UK.

“Since then, he has worked closely with Matt Jones, our nutritionist, to build up his weight and ensure he has optimal nutrition and hydration strategies in place, while following an individual strength and conditioning programme in the gym, across both training sites at Rush Green and Chadwell Heath..

“The main thing at the moment is to make him stronger. The last thing we want to do is over-exert him and put him at risk of a soft-tissue injury or joint problem, so it is a case of building him up slowly and then adjusting his programme when he is ready to start training, as he has obviously missed a full pre-season schedule.