Pernia to return in month

The Spain international left-back, 31, suffered a broken collarbone, several minor fractures and a punctured lung after a smash in his native Argentina trashed his car (pictured) but remarkably left his four-year-old daughter and two-year-old nephew unscathed.

"I'm feeling good although there is still some pain on account of various broken bones including my collarbone and some small fractures to several ribs and a doral vertebra," the former Getafe man told Marca.

"But otherwise I feel 10 out of 10.

"When I was being stabilised in hospital the doctors said that I could return in around six months with intensive therapy, and now I am one month from returning to play football. My recovery has been really good."

Pernia explained that he was so glad to be alive that he did not even look at the photos following the accident.

"The first think I did was to hug my daughter because I could not believe that we were still alive," he added.

"It was emotional. We were given life again. To be alive after this accident is a miracle."