CROCKED Iv�n Campo has had to forego the Spanish sunshine in order to get fit for Ipswich Town.

Derek Davis

CROCKED Iv�n Campo has had to forego the Spanish sunshine in order to get fit for Ipswich Town.

The Blues defender, who splits his time between his home in Spain and Suffolk where he plays, is working on his rehabilitation after picking up a calf injury in the 1-0 home defeat by Birmingham on Boxing Day.

Campo was allowed to return home in Spain while the injury settled down but is now back at snow-bound Portman Road where he is working with physiotherapist Matt Byard.

The Blues are hoping Campo, who will be 35 on February 21 when Town are away at QPR, will be back in full training towards the end of the next week.

Byard said: “Iv�n is doing well and is now deep water running, cycling and swimming. We will step up his work towards the end of this week and get him doing some jogging.

“If there is no reaction, he will begin ball work at the start of next week and we will look to ease him into training later in the week.”

While East Anglia shivers in below freezing conditions, temperatures in Spain have been very pleasant for the time of year.

Campo, who stays in an apartment close to where fellow Spaniard Pablo Counago lives near Ipswich docks, also has houses in Majorca and Valencia and is allowed to return to Spain whenever he has normal time off. Other players travel to London, Surrey and even Cheshire during breaks from training and playing.

Injuries and lack of form has restricted Campo's outings to just 12 this season for Town, which works out at more than �20,000 a match as he is on around �10,000 a week wages.

After signing as a free agent following his release from Bolton last summer, Campo signed a one year deal with Town who have an option to extend the contract by another year in July and no decision has been made on the former Real Madrid centre-half's future.

It's a similar situation with Moritz Volz, who will be a free agent in the summer after signing on a season-long loan from Fulham. The German defender is back in full training and could be included in the squad for the must-win game

at Swansea on Saturday.

The snowy conditions have played havoc with Alan Ferguson's pitches and meant Volz has had to miss out on training outdoors.

Byard said: “Moritz would have trained but none of the pitches are clear to play on and I don't want him working on artificial pitches in the dome. He will definitely be training this week and if there is no reaction then he could be okay for the weekend.”

Volz will need to displace Alex Bruce at right back, while Ben Thatcher is looking to dislodge David Wright at left-back.