Behind-scenes doc lifts lid on Palace star Benteke's injury recovery

The pain and struggle of returning from a long-term injury has been laid bare in a new documentary by Crystal Palace, detailing the return of Christian Benteke.

Benteke was injured in September, with his knee problem causing him to miss 20 matches, until he returned as a substitute at Watford on January 12.

His road to recovery was documented in a film, 'Christian Benteke: 18 Weeks Out', which was released by Palace on Thursday evening.

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The film begins with clips of Benteke struggling with a knee problem in early season games, and admitting that he had been suffering towards the end of the previous campaign.

He says: 'The first time where I felt my knee was at the end of last season; when we came back for pre-season, when I scored in Sweden, I felt something quite sharp.

'I tried to play through the pain. There is pain where you can cope with it, but there is pain where you won't be at your best, you won't perform. I was on the pitch but I wasn't 100 per cent.'

We then see Benteke beginning the recovery process, spending time in the gym with the physios and coaching staff, as well as sitting in the stands with the Belgian watching his team mates play, where he complains how 'it was like being a fan'.

The film runs through the various exercises Benteke has to do in order to aid his recovery - medical staff assess his balance and muscle strength, as he performs a series of stretches, squats and lunges.

The medical staff monitor his progress using computer programmes and systems to check how much stress he is putting on his injured knee - all while his team mates are able to fully train in the background.

While Benteke is visibly frustrated - at one point bursting out: 'There's so many things to think of', as a physio runs him through the right way to lift weights - it finally starts to pay off.

When manager Roy Hodgson checks in on the target man at week 12, a grinning Benteke tells him: 'Almost there, I can see the light'.

Hodgson takes a keen interest in when his main striker will be back - even now, with 20 goals from 22 games, Palace are the fourth lowest scorers in the Premier League.

When told by the physio that Benteke will be back in training by the end of December, a brusque Hodgson says: 'He'll be back before that', as the striker grins.

Eventually Benteke returns to full fitness, getting back on the training pitch to the delight of team mates, Cheikhou Kouyate giving an especially warm welcome.

Benteke says: 'My knee is 100 per cent, even stronger than before. I'm excited, but I know where I am coming from. I know all the work I put in to be here.'