England international Wayne Bridge says being able to play first team football during his loan spell at Fulham has been a ‘real bonus’ with the World Cup just three months away.
The left back moved to Craven Cottage in January to enhance his international prospects after a lengthy ankle injury saw him fall out of favour under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.
The summer signing of Asier Del Horno, coupled with his serious injury, had seemed to put Bridge’s World Cup hopes in jeopardy, but he is set to start for Sven Goran Eriksson in the friendly against Uruguay on Wednesday night.
If he stays fit Bridge can be assured of a seat on the plane to Germany, and with Ashley Cole struggling to return from injury, he could even stake an unlikely claim for a place in Eriksson’s first XI.
Bridge has been on good form since making the switch to Chris Coleman’s side, and the 25-year-old has highlighted the importance of regular first team football in his rejuvenation.
“Being back playing regularly in the Premier League is so important,” said Bridge. “Hopefully I can now get better and better. The next few months are incredibly important for me and playing regular first team football for Fulham is a real bonus.”
