Fulham full back Jerome Bonnissel is back in training – and hopes to have put his injury nightmare firmly behind him.

The French defender was a revelation after signing for Chris Coleman’s men on a free transfer last season but two ankle ligament injuries brought his debut season with the Whites to a shuddering halt. The former Rangers defender made sixteen appearances in the first team before getting injured against Southampton on Boxing Day.

Bonnissel admits that he found his lengthy injury lay-off frustrating, but has told the club’s official website today that he is now well on the road to recovery:

“At the beginning I knew that something in my ankle had changed, the stability wasn’t very good and I was experiencing some pain every morning. After I picked up my injury, the season became very frustrating for me. We were trying to find a solution to my ankle problem but at the same time I was watching the matches go by. We tried to find a way to resolve the problem without having to have surgery.

“I’m not wearing a cast and there’s no more limping. I just need to rediscover my balance and control. The progress has been good and I’m now able to run without any problems. I have two new ligaments which means that my ankle is stronger than it was two months ago. I will stay here in London for two or three more weeks before returning to France until the end of the close season. I will have to work hard over the holiday to recover my fitness in time for pre-season but I’m looking forward to it.

Bonnissel also reveals that he has Sylvain Legwinski to thank for prompting his switch to Fulham last summer.

“I was looking for a club and Sylvain called me to say that Chris Coleman was looking for a new left back. Sylvain made first contact with the manager – I came here and played for the team in a friendly in Austria. Then three or four days later I signed my contact with Fulham. It all happened very quickly.”