Of the knock, which has kept the defender out of England U21s crucial European Championships qualifier play-off first leg with Wales tomorrow, Micah said: “It’s not as bad as was first expected.
“There’s still a bit of inflammation and swelling of the knee, so it’s for the best to just rest it over this period.”
As well as missing the Young Lions’ bid to reach Sweden this coming summer, Richards has had to miss out on senior England squads of late too, but he is prepared to fight his way back into Fabio Capello’s senior side.
“It’s a bit frustrating and I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was frustrating. I’ll just bide my time and when the time’s right hopefully I’ll be able to get back in.
“It’s up to Fabio Capello and it’s his decision so the most I can do is make sure I’m playing 100% for City and make sure I’m playing well to get results here. Then hopefully that should be enough to get me in the squad.”
But returning to Club matters, the 20-year-old saw the Blues handed a tough UEFA Cup group stages draw on Tuesday morning, but he is confident of progression.
“It does look pretty tough actually,” Micah said, “but I’m sure on our day we could beat any of those teams, especially at home, and if we can get a decent point away from home I think we’ll be all right.”
And as Richards enjoys his first experiences of UEFA Cup football, he believes it will benefit the Blues in the long term, despite the early season physical drain on the squad.
He added: “It can only benefit us. I think what’s killing us at the moment is the fact that there’s a lot of games and people are starting to get tired already.
“That’s the whole point of having a big squad though and we’re starting to build that and hopefully we’ll be all right.
“Becoming the richest club overnight is a good feeling but money doesn’t automatically bring success.
“You’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right mix in your squad and I hope we can have that this season.
“Maybe we can get some more players in January and that will allow us to make a big push for the rest of the season.”
