The 25-year-old Czech Republic stopper could have died as a result of the horrific clash with Stephen Hunt last October but fought back to both fitness and form in a matter of months after banishing negativity from his mind. He told the Daily Mail: "The thought of getting hurt again never crossed my mind. "If you go on to the pitch and you worry about breaking your leg, about breaking your head, about getting a kick to the face, you probably have a 90% chance of finishing the game with an injury. "I have to wear the helmet again this season for medical reasons. I can't afford to take another knock on the head without it because the doctors tell me there is still a really high risk of it breaking again. "But every goalkeeper is brave because every time you dive at someone's feet, there is a chance you are going to get hurt. There's no way of avoiding it if you want to play at the highest level." Cech returned to the Chelsea first team in January - three months ahead of schedule - and instantly clocked up eight consecutive clean sheets in both the domestic and international arenas. He said: "There are a lot of goalkeepers who are stronger than me, quicker than me, have better reactions. "The key is concentration. Concentrating every second, every moment. You have to be ready to make a save, you have to be in the right place at the right time. If you lose concentration you get it wrong, that is the key. "As a goalkeeper you need to be really strong mentally. You have the pressure on your shoulders that you can't make a mistake because normally when you make a mistake it's a goal. "You have to be strong enough to deal with that. You have to make the right decision. If you panic or make a mistake you unnerve your team-mates. You have to exude confidence and you have to transfer that confidence to the players. They need to know that if they need help you'll be there. It allows them to play better."