OUSS Cisse is ready to hit the ground running after overcoming the worst injury of his career.

The midfielder was just five games into a new season at a new club when he suffered a severe hamstring tear.

Cisse says he has never had a muscle injury before - let alone one so serious. But after enduring a frustrating and lengthy spell on the sidelines he is coming back stronger than ever.

“When you are out of football, that’s when you realise how important it is. I’ve missed football so much,” he said.

“It’s only been three months, which is not that long, but for me it is.

“It’s the longest I’ve ever been out.

“That was my first muscle injury. I’ve never had that in 12 years.

“I knew straight away it was bad, it was like someone stabbed me in the hamstring.

“But after four days I felt fine, but when I had the scan it showed a bad tear.”

The 30-year-old says it has been hard to have a watching brief with Latics struggling at the wrong end of League Two.

But he hopes to play some part in tomorrow’s game at Exeter City and make a long awaited comeback.

“It was hard for me to see the boys training and playing and not being able to help them.

“We had a bad start to the season so to be out and not be able to help your team-mates has been tough for me.

“I’ve been working hard the last few weeks so I feel like I’m ready so I just want them to say ‘yes’. I just want to be back on the pitch, give my best and try to help the team to get out of this situation and crack on.

“I try to give my best every time I’m on the field so I’m just happy to be back.”

Cisse’s absence has been once of many - a situation that he has never experienced before and one which he described as “crazy”.

But the 30-year-old is one of three who could return this weekend, while Nicky Adams made his comeback from the bench at Ipswich Town in the FA Cup last week.

“It’s been crazy, we’ve been really unlucky. It’s been one injury after another,” he continued.

“But we’ve had to deal with it. That’s football life.

“We are pretty much back all at once so that’s a good thing.”