BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

ZIMBABWE senior national football team target, Tivonge Rushesha, is nearing a return to full fitness at English Championship side Swansea City after enduring eight difficult months on the sidelines because of a cruciate ligament injury.

The 18-year-old right-back made his senior debut for Swansea in the EFL Cup last season and is highly regarded at the Liberty Stadium.

Rushesha, a Wales Under-19 international, was born in Zimbabwe but moved to Britain as a youngster and has come through Swansea’s academy.

His hopes of a breakthrough season after being promoted to the first team however suffered a blow after suffering a serious injury.

According to Wales Online, Rushesha is close to regaining his full fitness and could be back in the Swansea squad by the end of next month.

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“The young defender’s 2020/21 campaign was cruelly cut short as he suffered an ACL injury during a training session. Rushesha has fully recovered and is now building his way back to full fitness after recently returning to training. Expected return date: Late September/early October,” Wales Online said in an injury update for the player on Friday.

Rushesha is so highly regarded at Swansea that he was early this year offered a new contract by the club despite his long-term injury after putting pen to paper on a one-year extension that will keep him with the club until at least the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

He recently revealed that he has set his sights on coming back better and stronger.

He was promoted to the first-team squad by Steve Cooper following lockdown last year, and is keen to recover properly and be ready to make an impact upon his return.

“It’s been a tough time, obviously it’s a big disappointment to have the injury and to know you are going to be out for so long,” he said.

“The new contract is good because it gives me a bit more security and less pressure, as otherwise I might have been returning from the first serious injury of my career with less than a year left.

“But everyone has been really good to me, the gaffer always checks in with me to see how I am doing, and the medical staff have been excellent for me.

“The challenge now is to make sure I follow all their instructions, put the work in and look to come back and be stronger and better than I was before.”

Although Rushesha has played youth football with Wales’ national age-group teams, he has previously declared his desire to be part of the Warriors in the future.

FIFA rules allow junior players to switch allegiance.