Petr Cech insists the last thing he remembers is jogging the length of the pitch to change ends immediately before kick-off.
The Chelsea goalkeeper, sporting an ugly scar visible through hair shaven for surgery, spoke publicly last week for the first time since clashing with Reading left-winger Stephen Hunt only 20 seconds into the champions’ 1-0 win at the Madejski Stadium. Cech later went under the knife at the Radcliffe Infirmary’s specialist neurosurgical unit in Oxford. While his rehabilitation is progressing encouragingly, he is not expected back in full training until mid-January at the earliest.
”I have seen [the footage] once and it is always difficult to see yourself on the floor, but still I could see myself speaking to the doctor and moving,” said Cech. ”I thought it happened on the other side of the head. That just proves that I don’t remember anything.”
He suffers blinding headaches and his medication renders him exhausted and unable to concentrate for any length of time as he continues his steady recovery from the depressed fracture of the skull he sustained so horrifically in the Premiership match at Reading three weeks ago.
”I just hope that every day it is going to get better — and it is better, because when I was able to go home, the mood was better. I am just happy that I am improving in all aspects.
”Soon I have got a medical meeting with Bryan English, the club doctor, and the medical department, and they will tell me the schedule — what I can do — and hopefully [I can] start growing the muscles.
”It will be difficult because I can’t move for a long time, the most is 15 to 20 minutes and then I am exhausted. They will prepare some programme for me so I start maintaining my body and I hope I will be able to go back as soon as I can.”
Cech preferred not to comment on whether he thought Hunt had caught him deliberately with his right knee as he attempted to reach a loose ball in the Chelsea penalty area. The winger has been insistent that the clash was ”a terrible accident” and, having been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Football Association, he has expressed a willingness to meet with Cech.
The incident prompted a furious reaction from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and relations between the clubs remain strained. He pressed for Hunt to be sanctioned and was publicly critical of the length of time it took for an ambulance to arrive at the stadium.
Yet the Czech Republic international himself remains oblivious. ”I have tried to think about this … The last thing I remember is that John Terry lost the toss and I had to run to the other side.
”The level of support has been fantastic from everyone. I’ve got letters from every goalkeeper at Portsmouth. I’ve got one from Ricardo, who plays for Sporting Lisbon, and Shay Given texted me a message. It is brilliant because he is injured, he knows how it feels, and he sent me a message wishing me a speedy recovery. There are so many people behind me and wishing me well. That is the best thing you can feel.” — Â