There was a mixture of relief and caution for Ben Gibson after getting 90 minutes under his belt ahead of Norwich City's top-flight opener against Liverpool.
The centre-back returned from the ankle ligament surgery which caused him to miss the final eight matches of the Championship title triumph when he played an hour of last week's 5-0 friendly thrashing of Gillingham.
His full match may have come during a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Newcastle for an under-strength Canaries side but was still an important part of the centre-back's Premier League preparations.
"I've worked really hard, doing everything I can. I'm obviously still getting there and the ankle is still remodelling," Gibson explained.
"But that's my first 90 minutes. My first proper minutes were Tuesday night, so it has been a huge progression for me.
"There's obviously still sharpness and match fitness still to come, which is huge, but I'm getting there."
Pictures showed the severity of the ankle twist Gibson suffered as City attacked a corner in the search for a winner, as Blackburn earned a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road in March.
Up to that point, the defender's loan from Burnley had proved a resounding success and was made permanent for around £8million this summer following promotion.
The former England Under-21 international had formed a strong partnership with Grant Hanley but the skipper has not been able to feature in pre-season at all.
The Scot is due to return to training this week but a start against Liverpool seems unlikely, with Gibson on course to start against Jurgen Klopp's team as he continues his injury recovery.
"It's still a little bit swollen and there are bits and bobs I've got to work on and work with but all the time it will just start to feel more natural," he continued.
"It doesn't really feel like my ankle at the minute, so I'm glad it's my right and not my left foot, but I'm getting there.
"The other night was good. The first half (at Newcastle) it was really good, the second half it started to stiffen up a bit.
"But that's part and parcel. Very rarely these days as a professional footballer do you feel perfect in games. So it's something you have to manage and the more minutes I get, the better it will feel."
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