West Bromwich Albino captain Chris Brunt admits to being frustrated in dealing with his first serious lay-off from football.
The Northern Ireland midfielder is expected to be out for about 10 weeks after fracturing his ankle on New Year's Day against Everton and he has revealed he is feeling the pinch at not being able to join his teammates on the field of play each week.
"In any case, any other time I've had to have surgery has been in the close season so I didn't miss any games.
"It hasn't been too bad so far but, as time goes on, I'll get more frustrated with not being able to get out on the field.
"It's never nice to miss games at any time but this is the crucial part of the season.
"Having a timeframe probably helps; knowing that it is eight weeks minimum gives me something to get my head around. At least I know I'll be back this season if all goes to plan.""I've been lucky in my career in not having many injury issues in the past. This is probably the first real one for me," he told the club's official website.
