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Striker steps up comeback
West Bromwich Albion, 12:29, January 5, 2010 ,
Ishmael Miller has handed West Brom an early new years boost by emerging unscathed from his first competitive action for 13 months.
Miller played 45 minutes of a training game against Port Vale at The Hawthorns - over a year after he suffered a knee ligament injury against Portsmouth before then experiencing a setback during his rehabilitation over the summer.
Head coach Roberto Di Matteo was in the stands to watch the striker's return but he then issued a word of warning that Miller wouldn't be rushed back into the first-team and that his hard work wasn't over yet.
He told the club's official website: "The friendly was part of Ish's rehab. We wanted him to get on the pitch and taking part in a reserve game.
"He will need to play games, that's for sure. That's how you get your game rhythm and build up your fitness."
"I think he's done well. We were looking for him to get back in February but he looks quite good considering the injury he had. We'll just have to monitor him."