Bullard to step up return
31 Oct 2007 - 13:08:41
Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard is close to being given the green light to resume full training following a year on the sidelines.
The 29-year-old has been out of action since dislocating his knee cap and damaging his cruciate ligament in a match against Newcastle United in September 2006.
But with a December return tentatively pencilled in, Bullard is set to step up his comeback with full-contact training alongside the club's youth players.
"Jimmy is on the verge of joining in with contact training with the younger players rather than the actual reserves," Cottagers boss Lawrie Sanchez told the club's official website.
"This will be on a week-by-week basis, he needs three or four weeks before he perhaps comes into contact with the first-team players.
"His recovery has gone very well but he hasn't had someone crunch into him yet. That is now the next stage for him.
"Every time there is a crunch tackle with Jimmy, people will look and see how he is with it.
"Once he's had a few of those and gets up from them, people will say 'let's get on with it'."
