THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON _ Ghana midfielder Michael Essien made his return after six months out with a serious knee injury in a Chelsea reserve-team match on Monday.
Essien came through unscathed after playing 75 minutes of the 3-2 loss to West Bromwich Albion as he closes in on a return to Chelsea’s first team for the second half of the season.
The 29-year-old Essien has been sidelined since July, when he underwent surgery after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee in preseason training _ his third serious knee injury.
He didn’t return to fitness in time to make Ghana’s squad for the African Cup of Nations, which starts on Jan. 21.
Essien returns from serious knee injury
