For West Ham United midfielder Pedro Obiang, this weekend’s international break has come at a good time, with the Spaniard slogging away to return to full fitness.
The former Sampdoria man suffered a quadriceps injury in training prior to the Hammers’ 2-0 Barclays Premier League at Watford but insists he is now firmly on the mend.
And following injuries sustained by Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia against Everton, the 23-year-old is naturally desperate to get back playing to boost Slaven Bilic’s squad.
“I'm feeling better now and I'm training hard to hopefully join the rest of the guys, but these things happen,” he told whufc.com.
“I just want to get back as soon as I can to help the team. We're focusing on the areas where I'm feeling a bit of discomfort so that next week I can start training again with the rest of the team.
“I'm very much looking forward to the next match against Tottenham as I am with every game, as it represents a new opportunity to play.
“I really hope that I have recovered by then and I can be part of the squad, so that I can make the fans happier.”
Injury setback aside, Obiang is positively thrilled with how his first few months in England have panned out, with plenty to smile about, on and off the pitch.
He continued: “I can divide my time here into three sections. The first, of course, is the football. There are no words to describe how well it's going, as we're having a great season.
“The second part is the personal side of things. I'm here with my partner, she loves London and, when we can, we try to go out and sample what London has to offer.
“Thirdly, the fans. They get behind us on the pitch and they're very respectful off it.”
The Hammers’ first signing under Bilic, Obiang was speaking at the launch of the third annual Lycamobile Cup, hosted by the West Ham United Foundation in Beckton.
The tournament culminates in a summer Finals Day at the Boleyn Ground and the Spaniard was reminded of his maiden outing at a major football venue, back in September 2010.
“The first time I played in a big stadium was against Juventus, my first team debut for Sampdoria.
“It really was like a Playstation match, with all the slow-mo's, the emotion, your heart is going at 200 miles an hour and it really makes you feel, for that brief moment, that you've become a star.”