After a delayed start to the season, the popular left-back is ready to get out of the blocks and play an important role in maintaining our recent good fortunes, cementing a regular place in the side following injury and suspension.

Bridge's last 90 minutes in the league came back in May, in the anticlimactic 0-0 draw with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, following that up with 89 minutes on the final day of the Premier League season against Everton, and then the full 120 minutes of the elongated Cup final victory over United.

Since then frustration has been the name of the game for Bridge, injured in England's 3-0 win in Estonia in June, which prevented him from taking part in the squad's pre-season preparations, and then a harsh red card for the reserves which has kept him out of domestic action for the whole of October.

With the trip to Wigan on Saturday, Bridge is hoping he will get his first taste of league action in 2007/8, but is wary that in the absence of Ashley Cole, there is another threat to his place in Paulo Ferreira. While never wishing injury on a team-mate, seeing Ferreira being carried off during last night's win over Leicester might just have guaranteed Bridge his first league start.

Speaking prior to the Carling Cup fourth round tie, he said: 'I'm fighting with Paulo at the moment, and he has played well at left-back,' Bridge shouted, smiling as the Portuguese defender walked past.

'It's been disappointing being suspended, but I'm hoping I can play the next game and Paulo doesn't, but he plays well wherever he is. He's strong, quick, defends well, gets forward and has a decent cross.'

High praise indeed for the versatile Ferreira, and Bridge is equally complimentary to Cole, who, just like himself, was injured in international action against Estonia, and since his arrival, has just had the edge over the former Southampton man for first pick at left-back.

'It's difficult, I like to think I can push him and he can push me, and if he's playing he's looking over his shoulder because I'm a good player,' Bridge said, adding: 'I hope to get as many games as I can this season. I played quite a few last year so hopefully it stays that way.'

For budding statisticians out there, Bridge appeared in 22 league games during 2006/7, compared to Cole's 23.

Bridge's road back to fitness has been a long and lonely one, something he readily admits.

'It's my most frustrating start to a season, definitely. I was having problems at the end of last season and didn't really find out what it was until the beginning of this, which is a bit disappointing, but I'm feeling good at the moment and hopefully it can stay that way,' he said.

While the rest of the squad prepared for the season ahead, and bonded on the club's summer tour to California, Bridge was forced to leave on just the second day of training for an operation to correct a hip problem that he couldn't shake off.

'It was a bit complicated, I'd torn a labrum (cartilage ring, located in the socket of the hip joint, which helps to increase stability and acts as a shock absorber) which ripped away from the bone. It would settle down and then I'd get back in training and it would hurt again straight away. They were the symptoms and that was it, I had to have the op,' he explained.

After that, it was back to England for a punishing rehabilitation while the rest of the squad continued to work across the Atlantic.

'It was definitely hard but I got my head round it and kept working,' Bridge explained. 'I was here until six o'clock some days, and never had a day off. I just wanted to get back fit as quickly as possible, working hard with our physio Glen Driscoll.

'I felt left out for a while, and never saw much of the lads so it's relieving to be back into things now.'

By the time Bridge returned to the setup, injury problems behind him, the management had undergone overhaul with José Mourinho departing and Avram Grant taking the reigns.

'It's always difficult because you want to be out training, but in that situation, that's football. Players come and go, and so do managers,' Bridge reasoned.

'José did well for the club and a lot of people loved him. There was the shock of it happening just like that as well, but as you can see we're getting good results and everyone seems to be enjoying it again.'

Having missed the start of Grant's tenure, Bridge is still not as familiar with the Israeli's methods as other members of the squad, but is pleased with what he has seen over the past six weeks.

'He's different. Every manager I have had has been different, but luckily I now have my first 90 minutes under my belt, which I enjoyed,' the England man smiled. 'He has his way and is putting his views across at the moment, and it seems to be working with the string of wins we have put together.'

After last night's win over Leicester, the final game of Bridge's suspension, that run now stands at six games.

The highlight for the left-back is not hard to guess, as the sole game in which he featured was the 2-0 Champions League victory over Schalke, with Bridge impressing fans and pundits alike.

He too was pleased with the performance. 'Definitely,' he enthused. 'I was speaking to Glen after the game and he was saying that I covered a lot of ground, more than I usually do, and did more sprinting as well which is good.

'Hopefully I stay fit and keep going that way. It was good to get forward as much as I did, and later in the game I felt good in my lungs, but was cramping up a bit. That's to be expected though, and hopefully that's behind me now.'

Looking forward, there is Wigan on Saturday followed by a return to the Veltins-Arena, the setting for Bridge's first Chelsea goal in late 2003, when he scored the second in a 2-0 win over Besiktas.

'Good memories!' Bridge laughed. 'I remember coming off the bench and scoring my first goal. I didn't really know what to do so I just jumped up and down on the spot!'

This time around, we are now in a strong position in Group B, and travel to Gelsenkirchen on the back of a convincing 2-0 win. The aim is to maintain that position.

'Every game is a main aim, we want to stay in every competition as long as possible, so we want to make sure we get as far as we can and win it,' Bridge stressed.

'We're in a good position and have to make sure we don't throw it away against Schalke. We need at least a point, but want to win the game.'

If we do, then qualification for the knockout stages will be within touching distance, as opposed to the national side, whose fate for Euro 2008 will be determined elsewhere.

Bridge has missed out on international football since suffering his injury, but can reasonably expect to be a part of Steve McClaren's squad that faces Croatia on November 21.

'Yeah, we'll have to wait and see for that one. I've been working hard and want to get back in the squad,' he said.

He will be hoping that June 2008 will be a busy footballing month, rather than the extended break it will become if Russia win their remaining two group games.

'Hopefully next summer, we need to play well against Croatia and fingers crossed we will be at the Euros,' Bridge tentatively said.

'It will be a long holiday otherwise, and probably not a very good one. It would be frustrating watching team-mates like Petr Cech play, so we want to be there.'

If England do fail, it would be another prolonged break from competitive football for the likeable Bridge, and he is one man who has had enough of those already.

By Andy Jones