Maro Itoje vows to return ‘stronger and quicker’

Maro Itoje says he will return “stronger and quicker” from the most painful injury of his career.

The England second row suffered a double facial fracture in Saracens' game at Harlequins at the start of December.

Itoje, 23, has made a rapid recovery and expects to make his comeback in the next couple of weeks.

He spoke on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast: "All in all it's looking good, I'll be back on the pitch soon.

"When I first broke it they told me potentially up to three months out, and now I am well within my timeframe of four to six weeks.

"I'm not quite there yet - and still have a couple of weeks to go.

"It was sore - probably my most painful injury so far," he explained.

"My jaw ballooned, and I turned into a black Buzz Lightyear! My chin was huge - I couldn't leave my house for a couple of days and was on blended food for a week or so, which was terrible.

"But thank God I am over that stage now, and eating a lot more normally now."