Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has spoken out in striker Lyle Foster's shock return to the pitch this past weekend.
The Bafana Bafana star made a surprising return to action on Saturday, when he was introduced immediately after half-time during the Clarets' clash against Everton at Turf Moor.
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The 23-year-old's previous appearance for the club came against Brentford on 21 October, but he then spent almost two months of action due to mental health struggles.
The centre-forward has been a notable absentee for Kompany's side as he was their leading talisman with three goals and two assists before he stepped away from the game for a few weeks – in fact, his goals tally is still the joint-most at Burnley this season despite Foster missing seven Premier League games.
Kompany has now revealed that he did not expect the South African to return to action as soon as he did.
"It was a surprise to us as well [Foster's return]. We hadn't really expected that he was able to return," the Belgian boss said in a post-match press conference, according to FARPost.
"But it was the opinion of the experts that keeping him in his natural environment was important.
"Football is part of his life; it's something he needs to do to be happy as well.
"We were ready for anything, and 45 minutes physically was what he was able to do. In the second half you could see how much of an impact he can have.
"I have to add that it's really important not to confuse things. This is part of his process of getting back. It's not like we can fly him all over the world now. This is just part of his return to health.
"We follow what the medical experts say. It's step-by-step. It's being with the team, being with people he considers his friends, and keeping a very small world for him. That seems to put him in a good place. This is just part of his recovery."
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