World Cup put Jansen on road to recovery

Matt Jansen could be back in action in October, three months ahead of schedule after suffering a life-threatening head injury on holiday.

The Blackburn striker, who was in a coma for four days, has returned to training, and says he intends to head the ball for real next week after a scare at their Brockhall base.

"Last week I started training fully for the first time. Before then the doctor was scared of a clash of heads," he said. "On Thursday somebody had a shot, it took a ricochet off someone else's shoulder and crashed off my head. People were concerned but it was no problem – it was a good thing to have happened. The doctor had already thrown up a few balls for me to head – but it's possible next week I can do some proper crossing and heading training."

Jansen, who was named in England's squad before the World Cup but was not included in the final 23, was on holiday in Italy when his motorbike was in collision with a taxi. Watching England's quarter-final defeat to Brazil on television marked a significant step towards his recovery.

When he regained consciousness in a Rome hospital, medical staff used the live football games to help spark his thought processes.

"I was very, very groggy when England were playing Brazil – to be honest I wasn't really sure what was going on," he said. "The doctors kept asking me questions about the game and what was happening. It was an important step in my recovery and though I wasn't 100 per cent when I returned to England, I was far more aware of things and enjoyed watching the final."

Jansen has formed a bond with his team-mate Stig Inge Bjornebye, who broke his eye socket in practice last season.

"We have been training together – at one stage neither of us was allowed to have a bang on the head," Jansen said. "When we go on those long runs that neither of us particularly like, it's good to have that camaraderie."