Bulgarian star Valeri Bojinov is confident his festive period will be full of cheer as the Manchester City striker has targeted a Christmas comeback at Eastlands.
Bojinov's fledging City career was cruelly cut short in the 1-0 win over Manchester United on August 19 as he suffered torn cruciate knee ligaments just eight minutes into his first start for the club.
It was a bitter pill to swallow given he had only completed a reported £6 million move from Serie A side Fiorentina on August 3.
After undergoing surgery in Italy, Bojinov has now returned to light training and is expected to return to Manchester in the near future to step up his rehabilitation.
The former Lecce starlet is now hopeful of featuring before the turn of the year as he looks to get his City career back on track.
"Thanks to Professor Mariani the recovery time is smaller than was initially stated," Bojinov told Sky Italia.
"If it responds well, as it has until now, I could return to the pitch for December 25."
09 October 2007
Mali have a full strength side for their decisive African Nations Cup qualifier away to Togo in Lome on Friday where the winner will progress to next year's finals in Ghana.
Coach Jean-Francois Jodar will have Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute to lead the attack while Mahamdou Diarra of Real Madrid and the Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko are expected to start in midfield.
Mali and Togo are both on nine points in the Group Nine standings.
Mali failed to qualify for the last Nations Cup finals in 2006 but were semi-finalists in 2002 and 2004.
Manchester City striker Valeri Bojinov has pointed the finger of blame at Fiorentina sporting director Pantaleo Corvino over his enforced departure from the Viola last summer.
The young Bulgarian international was left in now doubt as to his lack of future prospects at Fiorentina after being sent out on a frustrating season-long loan to Juventus.
It appears the two men initially enjoyed a prosperous relationship as Corvino first bought a teenage Bojinov to Italy when he was held the post of Sporting Director at Lecce in 2002.
After moving to Fiorentina in 2005, Corvino insisted on bringing Bojinov with him.
However, since then Bojinov claims a row over contract talks led to him being frozen out of the first-team squad, and eventually paved the way for him to arrive in Manchester,
'Why did I leave Italy? Because of Corvino,' he insisted.
'I was told that I had to sign a new contract or I would be frozen out of the squad. I had a very good relationship with Coach Cesare Prandelli. I'm just sad that they chose to treat me like that because at the moment they have Tomas Ujfalusi whose contract is about to run out. At Juventus I was shut out and then they signed a great player like Vincenzo Iaquinta. Then in England I found a boss who had faith in me in Sven Goran Eriksson.'
Unfortunately for Bojinov he was struck down with a knee ligament injury in his first start in August for his new team, and has thus yet to show his new City fans exactly why he was lauded as a teenage sensation in Italy.
However, after an initial fear that he may miss the entire season, Bojinov revealed rather optimistically that he may be back for the festive season,
'When will I return? Doctor Paolo Mariani has said that it will be before Christmas,'
