Ross Barkley spent two weeks in training using only his left foot, and it wasn’t some kind of funky training technique introduced by Frank Lampard to improve his weaker side.
According to an interview just released by Goal.com it was all to do with an injury picked up a few months ago.
The midfielder played at the weekend against Nottingham Forest, his first appearance for a while. Speaking to the media after the game, he revealed that bone chips in his right foot had meant very limited training for several weeks.
“I couldn’t really kick the ball with my right foot so I was training with my left. But now I feel good and I am ready to get back in the side and keep working hard,” the former Everton man revealed.
“I was trying my hardest to pass the ball in training with my right foot but it was that painful I just had to train with my left foot. Some days I would have to come out of training because it would be really painful, but for the last two or three weeks, I have been pain-free so I have been putting in the extra yards,” he went on to explain.
It wasn’t really clear how bad his injury was. Given the switch to a 343 at times in the last few weeks, there wasn’t really a need for him either, with Mason Mount often dropping in to midfield to play the role that Ross might otherwise have occupied.
He’s not the most popular player at the club, but Frank Lampard will be delighted to have another option back in the team, especially as the fixtures pile up.
