AUDIO: Andrew Surman says he has passed the ultimate test on the road to recovery after a knee injury by being 'smashed about' on the training pitches at Colney.

The talented midfielder played just over an hour of the midweek Norfolk Senior Cup semi-final defeat to Dereham on Tuesday – his first appearance after 12 weeks out having suffered a second knee injury just two games into his first comeback of the season.

The injuries were to the same knee, but unrelated, and Surman says he's happy it will stand up to the rigours of Championship football.

'Obviously with injuries there is always that mental barrier where you don't want to get injured again, but I think I have overcome that,' he said.

'Even in training I've been smashed a couple of times, which is what I needed really – you need to be smashed on your injury almost to make sure it's alright and I think I've got over that barrier now.

'I am fully 100pc committed now since coming back from injury, it is not really a worry for me. Obviously I don't want to get injured again, but it is not really something where I will go pulling out of tackles or anything like that.'

The appearance against Dereham blew a few cobwebs away, and Surman believes he is fit enough to be considered to face Reading today.

'I've been out for 12 weeks, but I feel that my fitness is good, my knee feels fine,' he said. 'Obviously I have only played 60 minutes, but last time I came back I only had one reserve game of 60 minutes and I think I played against Leeds on the Saturday.

'I'm champing at the bit to get back in, but it would just be nice to be involved in the squad on Saturday.

'No disrespect to Dereham but it was a game I needed for fitness, I needed match time. What you get out of it is what you put in and I always put 100pc in and felt I came off having given it a good blow.'

Surman has made just six appearances since moving from Wolves last summer and admits the absences – the first also lasted three months – have been hard to take.

'I can't really explain it to be honest,' he said. 'It's been awful. The first injury was bad, but I have never really suffered a serious injury in the past. To get injured first time and come back and two games into it get injured again for another 12 weeks was soul-destroying.

'But thankfully the lads have done well in the league and now I am back fit again it is nice to be coming back into a squad that is on a high. There's competition for places, everyone is fit, it is a really strong squad.

'I think that is only good for the squad, especially coming to the end of the season now, everyone has to be at the top of their game.'