'At the bottom of the tunnel I see light' - Fiorentina's Kouame positive about return from injury

Fiorentina forward Christian Kouame is hopeful of a return to action as he continues to recover from injury, saying he can see light at the bottom of the tunnel.

The 22-year-old Ivorian was a loan signing from Genoa in January but is yet to make an appearance for La Viola due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered while on international duty in November 2019.

He has been making a slow and steady recovery with the hope of getting on the pitch soon.

Serie A has been suspended since March 9 because of the coronavirus pandemic which has claimed the lives of 33,000 people in Italy.

Lockdown restrictions have since been lifted, giving room for football to resume next month with players already training.

"During the stop [lockdown] I worked a lot, there is still some way to go before returning to the field but at the bottom of the tunnel I see the light ... green like the grass that awaits me," Kouame said in a Twitter post.

Kouame is eager to get back to action, and once explained he was ready to play as a goalkeeper if need, just to get back on the field.

"To play, I am ready to be a goalkeeper. In today's football, you have to adapt to everything," he said last month.

The Abidjan-born player had a stellar time before his injury at Genoa, having a hand in eight goals (five goals, three assists) in 11 Serie A outings.

He has played a total of 51 games for the Liguria-based outfit since joining from Cittadella in 2018, scoring a total of nine goals and providing another nine assists.

Kouame's entire career has been in Italy, starting out with Prato at youth level, spending time on loan with the Sassuolo and Inter Milan youth teams as well.

His biggest involvement was with Cittadella where he made 63 appearances, scoring 15 goals and providing 15 assists in two seasons.

His present team Fiorentina are currently 13th on the Serie A standings, five points clear of the relegation zone.

Since Kouame's arrival, La Viola have won only once in five games, drawing twice and losing twice.