ALEX Gorrin says a strong support network has helped him make great strides in his recovery from a serious knee injury.

The Oxford United midfielder tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) early in the Emirates FA Cup first round tie with Bristol Rovers on November 7.

Gorrin had an operation later that month and is set to miss the rest of the season, but revealed his recovery is going well.

“I’m really pleased with the progress, we’ve got a great medical team here and the surgeon that did my operation is one of the top ones in England,” the 28-year-old said.

“At the start it was a bit slow, but it’s been picking up. I’m feeling great and I shouldn’t be too far off running in a straight line on the grass.

“No-one wants to be in this situation, but there’s not much you can do. You’ve just got to make sure you get it right.”

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The Spaniard is a bubbly character, but even he found it difficult to be positive in the weeks following the injury.

He said: “It’s frustrating at times, I’m not going to lie.

“Especially in the early stages you’re in quite a lot of discomfort and you struggle to walk, so you think ‘how am I going to come back?’.

“When your body has a lot of pain, the first thing you say is let it rest and heal, but you have to keep the knee moving and go through the pain to let it get better.

“Then you start seeing your progress, you’re in the gym and your knee starts feeling more normal.

“Twenty years ago, you had a cruciate knee injury and you’re done, but now you see a lot of players come back to the level they were before.

“That gives you peace of mind, so if you listen to what the professionals say and do everything in your power then you normally come back.”

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Gorrin arrived from Motherwell in summer 2019, reaching 100 appearances for the club the week before his injury.

His absence has at least enabled him to spend more time with his family, having been unable to travel home to Tenerife for long periods due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The midfielder is out of contract this summer and head coach Karl Robinson previously suggested he will be offered a new deal.

Support has come from several other sources, including teammates with experience of similar injuries.

“In good times, it’s easy to be fine, but when you’re in a bad place you really see who’s around you,” Gorrin said.

“I just feel very lucky I’m at a club that really look after me.

“Billy (Bodin) did his cruciate twice and is playing at a phenomenal level, Sam (Winnall) is scoring goals, Mous (John Mousinho) came back brand new in six months.

“They walk you through it so you can put a picture in your head of what’s going to happen.

“If you have a little niggle around your knee you ask them and they tell you it’s normal and not to worry.

“I can’t see why I shouldn’t be back for next season.”