Curtis Jones has opened up on his injury problems of the past year and says he has "a point to prove" at Liverpool after his first Premier League start since May at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Jones suffered what was described as a 'freak eye injury' in October last year that kept him sidelined for over two months and disrupted his progress, while this term he has been hampered by what Jurgen Klopp has repeatedly called a "stress reaction" whenever asked for an update on the midfielder's fitness.
The problem was initially picked up in the closing stages of the Community Shield victory over Manchester City in July before it was reaggravated in September.
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Jones returned to training in August and was part of the substitutes for the 2-1 win over Newcastle before a setback kept him out until Wednesday's 1-0 victory against West Ham at Anfield.
After making his first cameo appearance off the bench in midweek, Jones started in Saturday's dismal 1-0 loss at Forest and says he is looking to make his mark this term after finally being fit enough to start for Klopp's team.
"I was out for 10 weeks," Jones said. "I came on Wednesday and played half an hour, then 90 today. So yeah, I’m tired but that’s part of the game. It’s a Premier League game, it’s always going to be hard, non-stop work. But I’m fit and ready now.
"It was a stress response. It was basically swelling in the bone. But if you carry on with it, it can go to a fracture and then a break. It was the first time I’d had anything like that, to be honest. Touch wood this doesn’t change, but I’m a kid who never gets injured. I don’t pull hamstrings, quads, calves, stuff like that.
"When I’ve been injured, it’s been like a freak one. I was poked in the eye last season and out for six weeks, and this season I had a stress response in the bone. I was out for four weeks, I came back and trained twice, felt it again and was out for another six. It was a difficult time, but now I’m back I’m happy and I have a point to prove.
"I felt it after the Community Shield. I was having pain in my calves, then after that game I had a different pain, like an ache inside the bone. I went for a scan and they said it was a stress response. It’s rare, so I guess I was unfortunate, but now I just have to try and kick on, put it right behind me."
Jones, who started in a midfield pairing alongside Fabinho at Forest, added: "It’s good to be back, but it was a tough game. We were the better team, on top for most of the game and then a small mistake and we’re punished. That’s what happens in the Premier League, but we go from there and we go again.
"It’s a change [of position], but I felt good, I was comfortable. Yeah it’s different, I’m used to having a one and a two [in midfield]. I wouldn’t say it was more defensive, but it was a more disciplined role I would say. I enjoyed it. Then I moved up to the left of a four [second half] and felt good.
"A team like Forest, even if you score first, they’re always there. They’ll always be in your face and waiting for the moment you’re a little bit slack on the ball. They’ll find a chance to get you on the break and stuff. I felt even if we’d scored, we’d have had to score again so we could pop the ball around a bit more. But it was one of those days."
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