The Bosnian striker’s start against Hull last weekend was only his second in four months after being ruled out with two different calf injuries.
With just four goals this season from his 14 starts, he is eager to make up for lost time and hopes to quickly rediscover the sort of prolific form that brought him 26 goals on the way to last season’s title success.
With a ratio of better than one goal every two games for games started for the Blues, an in-form Dzeko could be the perfect boost for a City side that has found goals much harder to score this season.
“Being out for more than two months is definitely not the best feeling,” admitted Edin.
“I obviously need some games under my belt so starting against Hull was really good for me. Everything felt OK, but there is much more to come and I need to find my best form again as soon as I can.
“It’s been the longest lay-off I’ve had and I’ve been lucky that I’ve not had any big injuries before – nothing more than two weeks – so this has been a new experience for me.
“I was initially out for five weeks with the first calf injury, and then I injured my left calf just after which was another six weeks so it’s been a long spell.”
Dzeko ended the match against the Tigers as frustrated as anybody else at the weekend and he admits the Blues are finding it it difficult to break down packed, well-organised defences at the moment.
“I think just now it’s easier to play away, even if it’s against a team we haven’t done well against in the recent past,” he said.
“We are struggling at home against teams who come to the Etihad to defend in numbers because we have had problems finding a way to create good scoring opportunities - so maybe it is better we play away just now.
“I doubt Stoke will play the way they did at the Etihad on this occasion. They will be more open on their own pitch and that will suit us. We need to start winning and scoring goals again so hopefully we can begin again this evening.”
Dzeko acknowledges the Stoke of old has gone now Mark Hughes is in charge and that the long-ball and physicality of their game has been replaced with a more skillful, technical approach. One example this season has been the form of new signing Bojan, and while some have likened Spaniard to David Silva, Edin says it’s unfair to measure one against the other.
“Bojan is a good player and they will miss him because he has become very important to them and it is unlucky for him that he has suffered such a bad injury,” he opined.
“He is similar in build to David and in some of his movements, but I think Silva is the best midfielder in the Premier League so it’s unfair to compare him against Bojan or anyone else for that matter.
“Hughes has changed the way they play and Stoke play some good football. They have signed some good, technical players and changed their style and you can see by their results that when they want to play good football, they can.
“Hopefully it will be a good game but one that we can win.”
