Somma to step up return
Leeds United manager Neil Warnock has confirmed that Davide Somma will step up his return to fitness next week, but cautions against expecting too much from him too soon.
Somma has been out for almost 18 months with a serious knee injury sustained in the pre-season training ahead of the 2011/12 campaign, and struggling Leeds are eager to get him back to fitness.
"I'm hoping he'll play his first game for me around February or March time," Warnock said wryly. "Because I'm not expecting anything if that makes sense. I was told when I first came here don't worry about strikers because Somma will be fit in three weeks and that was last February!
"He's doing some training and he's not had any reaction and he's started doing different things other than straightforward running and he's going to join in with the football side of things as from next week as well.”
Warnock says the fans will have to be patient with the Bafana Bafana international. Leeds dropped to 18th in the English Championship at the weekend when they were trashed 6-1 at home by Watford and supporters are looking for a quick fix.
"The trouble is, when you're not doing well up front, you think back to Somma at his best, you don't think back to when he was struggling or anything like that, so it's harsh to think somebody's going to be a saviour when they've been out for such a long time."
