Charlton Athletic forward Chuks Aneke has labelled his fitness issues as his own “personal battle” after the 2-0 win over Shrewsbury Town.
Charlton Athletic brought Aneke back to The Valley in January just half a season after losing him to Birmingham City.
The forward was struggling for game time at St Andrew’s, starting only one Championship game for the Blues before returning to the Addicks. He made 21 appearances across all competitions in his time with the club, though 17 of those came off the bench in the league.
Since returning to Charlton Athletic, Aneke has been disrupted by injury, but he has still managed four goals and one assist in eight games.
Now, after netting in the weekend’s 2-0 win over Shrewsbury Town, Aneke has opened up on his fitness issues.
As quoted by the South London Press, the 28-year-old labelled his fitness struggles as his own “personal battle”, admitting his frustration but insisting that he is more than understanding of it. Here’s what he had to say:
“It’s frustrating.
“Coming down from Birmingham, I didn’t start a lot of games. When I came, I was straight in. I had a bit of rhythm so it’s definitely frustrating. I’ve worked hard off the pitch with Adam Coe and the physical staff. I’ve come back in good shape and picked up where I left off.
“Every player is different. That’s my personal battle that I’ve had throughout my whole career. That’s something that I’ve always got to stay on top of. My personal battle. Some players are fit as a fiddle and can play every minute. I’m not one of those players unfortunately.
“I can do what I can do. I did it today, so I’m delighted.”
A key role to play moving forward?
There’s no doubt that Aneke can become an important player for Charlton Athletic once again. His technical ability and goalscoring threat made him a popular figure in his first stint and it’s clear to see that the threat is still there.
The Addicks will be hoping to improve on this season to look towards the play-off spots again next season, and if Johnnie Jackson’s side find themselves in that fight, Aneke could have an important role to play.
