Bridge reveals horrific injury

England left-back Wayne Bridge has admitted the extent of the broken ankle which has put him out of action for eight months.

The Chelsea star was injured in February 2005 after a challenge with Alan Shearer and only returned to action in the Carling Cup against Charlton on Wednesday.

He said: "It was quite serious. I broke the fibula which isn't so bad but the ankle almost came away from the leg,

"I ripped all the ligaments bar one. It was hanging on by one ligament."

He added: "They couldn't operate for about two weeks because there was so much swelling and bleeding.

"We had to wait for the bleeding to go down. I had to spend a week or so in hospital before they could operate."

Bridge played 45 minutes of a pre-season game against DC United in the US and his outing came much to the anger of his surgeon.

He continued: "They said I wouldn't really be training until September,

"They told me how nasty it was and to get it into my head that I wouldn't be playing until then.

"But everything was going so quickly. I was walking quickly, I was running and playing far before they expected, but the last few steps have taken a little longer.

"When we were in America I remember the doctor telling me after I had played that the surgeon had phoned up to ask what the hell was going on.

"But he told him that I felt good, it wasn't perfect and I could train, run about and do most things."

Bridge will have his sights set on getting back into the England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad for the World Cup.