BY DARREN JOHNSTONE – Capital City Press
Raith Rovers forward Lewis Vaughan insists he could return before the end of the season – despite suffering a serious cruciate knee ligament injury.
The 19-year-old ruptured his ACL during the August 1 League Cup victory over Albion Rovers and was told his rehabilitation could last up to nine months after going under the surgeon’s knife in September.
Vaughan had the procedure carried out at the Yorkshire Clinic in Bingley, where Scotland striker Steven Naismith and ex-Rangers captain Barry Ferguson have also been treated.
Vaughan, who scored two goals in his only two games so far this term, is planning to follow the physio’s orders to give himself the best possible chance of returning this season.
Vaughan said: “My recovery is going well, I’ve been cycling and on the rowing machine.
“The specialist said the operation went well but it was up to me in terms of how long I would be out.
“He said it could be six to nine months, and said: ‘if you work hard and do everything the physio tells you to do then it should be around six months’.
“I don’t want to put an exact date on it as there might be slight hiccups, it’s about how my body reacts to it.
“It’s still early but hopefully I can be back in six months and can catch the last couple of months of the season, but I’ll just need to see what it’s like after Christmas.
“I go up to the gym everyday training on my own and it’s hard seeing the guys going out and having a laugh.
“I should be able to start jogging about six to eight weeks after the operation so hopefully I can get back running soon. That would be a big step.”
