Fornaroli has played 40 minutes of the A-League this season, coming off the bench against Sydney FC and Perth Glory.

The Uruguayan said he mainly thought about his wife and children when he spoke to the doctors on the night of the injury.

Now into Round 22, he declared himself ready for this Friday night’s Melbourne Derby.

“When I got to hospital and they said ‘your ankle is broken and you need surgery’, my wife was pregnant at that time, so at first I thought about my family,” Fornaroli said.

“I tried to call her and I said ‘look nothing happened, I am alright, I need surgery, but it’s fine.’ I protect my family first, but inside it was not easy.

“I had a very good pre-season to do my best this season so when this happened it wasn't a good time, but it’s part of football. You have to take it, you have to go out and try to do everything to come back better.”

Fornaroli also admitted he was training every day with pain.

“Sometimes the pain lets me run, sometimes it’s harder for me,” he said.

“I have to work every day with my ankle and try to do everything well, to prepare everything for the game.

Fornaroli makes his return off the bench against Sydney FC

“When you spend a lot of time and you don’t move the ankle, it’s a little bit normal. The danger is not the injury, after the surgery they said to me that ‘you will feel pain for a long time’, but I can't think about this.

“When I play also I forget about it a little bit and my ankle gets better, so this is important.

“In games I don't think about it, I am not scared to put the foot in. This is a good thing for me and I don't remember the tackle.”

Fornaroli was the captain of City last season, but since then, utility Michael Jakobsen has taken the armband.

The 30-year-old praised Jakobsen’s leadership this season.

“Michael’s a great person, a great player, so we support him,” he said.

“The team will support him to be the captain and I was very happy when Warren (Joyce) said ‘you’ll be the captain this season’, so for me it’s a great decision.”