SIMON Davies admits he was surprised to be back in the Fulham side so soon after recovering from a knee injury.

The Welsh international had been sidelined for half a year before making his first start of the season in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Swansea.

And but for other injuries affecting Martin Jol's men, Davies concedes he probably would have been eased back into the side rather than thrown straight back in.

He said: “I've had the all clear from the physio for about a week or so, and to be honest, I had been looking at the Christmas fixtures for a possible return.

“I had hoped to get four of five reserve team games in first, as the first team is a tough place to get your fitness levels back up.

“I'm still a long way off where I need to be, but the injuries we have here meant I was needed.”

It was an emotional day for Davies, not only playing his first game in six months, but also playing in Wales just a few weeks after the death of Welsh manager Gary Speed.

The Fulham man added: “Gary was a fantastic guy, and like everyone else, it was a complete shock for me.” 

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