Ghana midfielder, Michael Essien says he feels good after making a comeback on Monday night from a six-month injury lay-off.

Essien took the final steps to full recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament tear by appearing for Chelsea’s reserves against Aston Villa.

The Ghanaian said afterwards it felt good to have played again.

“Everything is perfect, I wasn’t expecting to finish the game, but it felt good so I had to finish,” he said.

“At the end I was a bit slow, but from the beginning until the end I was sharp, everything was good.”

The player has also spoken of the difficulty in sitting on the sidelines for six months.

“From the beginning it looked a very long time, but as time goes on it goes quickly, but I am happy to be back and playing football.”

The player's return certainly means he will be available for the Black Stars when they take on Benin when the 2010 World Cup qualifiers resume on March 29 at the Baba Yara Stadium.