Frank Lampard, grateful that over three months on the sidelines came to an end on Sunday at Tottenham, reports feeling good after the match.
His quarter-of-an-hour of action at White Hart Lane was his first since August. Surgery on a pre-hernia condition was followed by two further injuries in the same region.
'You get used to watching games and being frustrated and having weekends off watching the lads go away,' Lampard told Chelsea TV about his time recovering.
'It is strange and it does make you really think and appreciate even more how lucky you are to do what you do, playing football for a living.
'It has been frustrating to be missing but it is a beautiful feeling to be back. My groin felt very good and I have a nice long week until the next game now.'
Lengthy time out with injury has thankfully been rare during Lampard's Chelsea career. The team's results have declined during the latter part of his recent absence.
'Every season you have patches and ups and downs and hopefully this is one to get out the way early and refocus.
'It is easy for me not being involved to sit back and say it has been really bad but it is a difficult league and we started off like a house on fire. We have had a bit of a hiccup and maybe we stopped doing the things that made us so good early in the season. Hopefully the Spurs game was a bit of a turning point.
'We worked hard, we grafted, we showed spirit and we were strong. We take that into this week.' 
