Gary O’Neil trains with the rest of the QPR squad only three days a week for fear his suspect ankle may give way.

The 30-year-old admits problems from the past has forced him to forsake the pitch and plough through the gym weights while his team-mates get on with it outside.

The former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough player had to undergo surgery on an osteochondral defect after sustaining damage to his cartilage in April 2011.

He suffered the setback after a tackle from Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker that kept him out for eight months.

But he also reckons he runs the equivalent of Loftus Road to the Emirates Stadium every game in the hope QPR will face Arsenal again next term.

Rs boss Harry Redknapp has praised the 30-year-old for his tireless workrate, and O’Neil admits he puts in a shift, especially if he is on the wing.

Statistics reckon that not only does the midfielder get through more than 13k-a-game, 1.8k of it is flat out.

Unsurprisingly, the player prefers to play down the centre given a choice.

O’Neil said: “I do about 13kms if I play wide, and just over 12k down the middle, so the wide ones are a bit of a task – even when the ball’s on the other side.

“You have to sprint up and down long distances, whereas when you’re in the middle it’s shorter.

I’m thankful just to get in the team. Harry took me while I was on a free, and I’ve worked as hard as I can to repay him.

“Lungs and legwise I’ve always been able to do that. Training wise I don’t do as much now, because of my ankle injury, but it hasn’t affected my stats.

“I don’t go outside as much as I used to. I have a day or two in the gym and lay off the wear on the ankle joint. As they say, as long as you do it on a Saturday, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing in the week.”