FOOTBALL (From Stroud News and Journal)

FOOTBALL

3:05pm Wednesday 1st July 2009

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Christian Ribeiro will begin pre-season training with Bristol City today, almost a year after a nightmare first-team debut.

The former Marling School and Ruscombe-based defender suffered cruciate knee ligament damage 11 months ago on his first-team debut in a League Cup tie with Peterborough. But he has trained throughout the summer and will start on level terms with his team-mates this week.

And manager Gary Johnson is backing the 19-year-old to return as the same player he was before his horrific setback.

“Certainly if anyone deserves it he does,” he said.

“The work he has put in has been nothing short of unbelievable. Everybody wants him to do well “Christian is fine. He has been training throughout the summer and come July 1 he will be training normally with the lads.”

The Wales Under-21 international will travel with the senior squad for the Robins’ training camp in Portugal next week.

He is adept at right-back or centre half and was highly-rated before the injury and strongly linked with a move to Everton.

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