British Masters: After a month out of action with a back problem David Howell not only talked yesterday about how injury prone he is, but demonstrated it.

Howell, still top of the European Order of Merit despite his latest enforced lay-off, returns to action in the Quinn Direct British Masters at The Belfry tomorrow.

The Swindon golfer's pre-tournament press conference ended, however, with him tripping on a step and splashing coffee over his face and shirt.

"Would you believe it?" said Howell, wiping himself down before carefully making his exit without further incident.

After pulling out of tournaments in China and America the 30-year-old describes himself as still only about 85 per cent fit and is making no predictions about an event in which he lost a play-off to Thomas Bjorn at the Forest of Arden last year.

He added: "I hit nothing more than a seven-iron for a month, so I don't expect to compete with the boys who are healthy and have been competing.

"I've got a couple of scores to settle the next two weeks (he also lost a play-off for the Irish Open), but my goal here is to put four scores on the board and come through in better shape. I've no expectations."

Howell is hoping, of course, that he can rediscover form as quickly as he did last year after he spent almost two months on the sidelines with a torn stomach muscle.

He won his third event, the BMW International in Munich, finished a best-ever seventh on the money list and then began this season's campaign by beating Tiger Woods head-to-head in Shanghai.

"Although I missed some really big events (the Open at St Andrews among them) I would not have swapped what happened last year.

"I'm not concerned that I'm going to come back a terrible golfer. Sometimes a lay-off gives you a break from the daily grind and it's like having a blank piece of paper - you get the basics right again and go from there."

Howell's early professional career was interrupted when he fell and hurt himself playing tennis, then he broke his arm tripping while out for a jog.

Last year's injury came when he was also top of the Order of Merit. It also came out of the blue at the US Open - it was thought it might have been caused by trying Vijay Singh's specially made heavy practice club - but the latest one crept up on him.

"Just wear and tear," he said.

"Some guys are lucky enough to play for 25 years without injury, but I'm not of that mould.

"I just look at it as part of the game - some guys can't putt, I can't play long spells without injury."

At least his position in the Ryder Cup standings has not been harmed too much by spending the last month "dossing" at home.

He is sixth in the race for the 10 automatic places, but sufficiently far ahead - 455,000 - of 11th-placed Kenneth Ferrie not to feel concerned.

He is among nine members of the triumphant 2004 side playing this week on the European tour's return to the course where the 1985, 1989, 1993 and 2002 matches against the Americans were played.

The missing trio are Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald and Thomas Levet, all competing in America instead.

The Belfry has staged four Benson and Hedges Internationals as well, with Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey, currently first and 10th in the cup race, two of the winners and back now attempting to make it a double.