West Brom: Ishmael Miller plans New Year return

Oct 9 2009 by Chris Lepkowski

ISHMAEL Miller is plotting a New Year return to first-team action and insists he will be better and stronger than before.

I caught up with the enthusiastic and smiling Albion striker following his first running session yesterday lunchtime.

Miller, who was first injured last December, was due to return at the start of this season but was forced to go back under the knife when he had a major setback.

When he suffered his initial injury medics decided that he would be best served having a patellar tendon implanted into his knee from a dead person’s body.

The procedure, which has been used by players at the top end of the Premier League, is generally successful but Miller’s body rejected the tendon – an outcome which normally affects fewer than one per cent of recipients.

Miller underwent a further operation using his own patellar tendon, effectively forcing him into another six months of rehabilitation.

But the 22-year-old is now on course for a return in January or February following a glowing report from a medical examination.

“I feel good. I saw a specialist on Wednesday and he was very pleased with me,” said Miller.

“I went out running for the first time yesterday.

“I’m glad it’s going well because initially it didn’t heal the way I wanted it to heal.

“Everything went perfectly with the surgeon, it’s just that my body rejected it.

“I was absolutely devastated because it’s a less than one per cent chance of it happening.

“You always think it’s not going to happen to you, but it did.