Reading forward Yakou Metie is hoping to make an instant impact when he returns from his long term injury.
The Ivorian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which required surgery and has kept him out of the entire season as he plots his return to first-team action in the new year.
“I need to come back fit and as soon as I can,” said Meite.
“I’ve been working hard and its starting to pay. I don’t want to rush it, but I want to be in the best shape I can be when i come back.
“I’ve been outside with the physio.
“I have a date in mind, I have done since the start of my injury.
“I want to play this season, that is the target but I can’t tell you a date but I think I’m not too far but I still have a lot of work to do.”
Meite expressed the importance of remaining positive despite his injury and has been in attendance at matches supporting his teammates throughout his recovery.
He continued: “At the start it was tough to watch, now it is better, but I didn’t want to stay at home.
“I want to come and support the team but it was tough knowing I’d be out for quite a few months.
“It’s the first time I’ve had a long injury like this. It’s been tough, but it could have been worse.
“It’s been really difficult at the start with the problems we’ve had but now we’re in a position where we know what we need to do.
“Like the manager always says, we need urgency.
“I know we are better than where we are in the table and we lost six points as well.
“A lot of people expect us to change the team offensively when we’re back, me and Lucas (Joao), but they can’t forget we have both been injured for a long time so we need time to adjust.
“I want to be as fit as I can straight away from the first game back, that’s why I’m working so hard now and I know Lucas is the same.
“I want to be back helping the team, score goals and get my confidence back.
“I’m missing the feeling of scoring goals.
“The first two weeks were really tough. I was at home watching games and I knew it was only the start.
“I didn’t know yet if I wanted surgery or not, because I wanted to get back as soon as possible.
“But a lot of people advised me do it, because I’m still young and I don’t want to have this kind of injury again after this.
“Everyday I’m counting the days down. Sometimes the time goes fast, sometimes it goes slow but now I am back on the pitch and it’s getting better and have been able to work on different things.
“Touching the ball is the most important for a footballer so you get excited even when it’s just a simple pass, you enjoy it when you haven’t done it for a long time.”
