Bowyer steps up the rehab treatment for Charlton

Charlton Athletic have been through a recurring nightmare in recent seasons – but boss Lee Bowyer has made one big change for those in the treatment room.

Even this pre-season has been an issue for the Addicks with Tariqe Fosu, Ben Reeves, Lyle Taylor, Igor Vetokele and Anfernee Dijksteel all sidelined, writes Richard Cawley.

Billy Clarke, pictured above, is on the final leg of recovering from cruciate knee ligament surgery but is still a couple of months away from a return.

The former Bradford City man suffered an ACL rupture at Blackburn Rovers in December.

Addicks boss Bowyer said: “Unfortunately you can’t avoid injuries – every club has them. Some more than others. But what I can do is treat them in a way to get them back quicker.

“That is something I have changed from last season. The injured lads were leaving before the players were finishing training – that should never happen.

“I didn’t want to change too much that season, I just changed the most important things.

“But now I’m here this season they’ll be here from 9am to 4pm if they have injuries – you don’t go before that.  They are getting a lot more treatment than they were getting before and will get back quicker. I know that for a fact – because I had it myself.

“When I was at Leeds I would have treatment from 9am to 5pm and the physio had his own clinic in Leeds town centre and he used to take me there after so that I’d get treatment until 7pm or 8pm. Did it bother me? Yeah. Did I like it? No. But I got back quicker and every player wants to play.

“You can’t control Lyle Taylor falling down three steps and hurting his calf, what you can control is the intensity of treatment they are receiving now.”