Strictly's Jody Cundy uses crutches following health scare amid concerns about his recovery for Saturday's show

Jody Cundy stepped out with crutches on Friday amid fears he won’t be able to perform on Saturday’s Strictly Come Dancing.

The Paralympian, 44, was rushed to hospital this week after waking up at 4am with a swollen, infected leg.

Jody, who had one of his legs amputated when he was three years old after being born with a deformed foot, was forced to forfeit two whole days of training due to the infection which prevented him from wearing his prosthetic leg.

However, the star was back on his feet again as he headed to dress rehearsals with a smile on his face a day before the live show.

Yet he didn’t seem to have fully recovered as he still carried his crutches with him.

Ouch: Jody Cundy stepped out with crutches on Friday amid fears he won’t be able to perform on Saturday’s Strictly Come Dancing

Pained: The star was back on his feet again as he headed to dress rehearsals with a smile on his face but he didn’t seem to be fully recovered as he still carried his crutches with him

Health scare: The Paralympian, 44, was rushed to hospital this week after waking up at 4am with a swollen, infected leg which led to him being unable to wear his prosthetic leg

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Jody and his partner Jowita Przystal shared a snap after their appearance on It Takes Two after Jody revealed he noticed his limb had become red and swollen.

Sharing the post, Jowita, 29, wrote: ‘Thank you so much for all your lovely messages and support.

‘Staying positive is the key and we really hope we can perform for you guys this routine cause it means a lot to us, sending lots of love ! Team wheels & heels’.

Jody also addressed his health complaint on his Instagram story as he wrote: ‘You may have seen on It Takes Two, that I’ve picked up a minor niggle this week, that’s meant I’ve missed a few days training.

‘Everything seems to be settling down and I hope to be back on the @bbcstrictly dance floor this Saturday evening.’

Appearing with host Janette Manrara he explained: ‘It’s been a week of highs and lows. The first two days have absolutely flown by. The end of day two we had done the full routine a number of times which I had not done for the previous two dances.

‘I was really confident that I could perfect everything for Saturday. I got home on Tuesday night and took my leg off and was like “oh, that’s quite sore”.

‘I didn’t really think too much of it and cleaned it, bathed it and made sure it was all ok.

‘I got up at 4am and looked at my leg, it was warm, swollen and I was like “that’s getting infected”.’

Tough: The athlete has an infected leg and had to turn to crutches after being unable to put his prosthetic foot on

Strong: The pair are staying positive ahead of Saturday’s movie week performance

‘I was really confident that I could perfect everything for Saturday. I got home on Tuesday night and took my leg off and was like “oh, that’s quite sore”‘ Jody explained on It Takes Two

Fingers crossed: Jody took to Instagram after his TV appearance and said he hoped he would be dancing on Saturday

Jody revealed he went straight to hospital and was prescribed antibiotics.

However by the time the morning came, the athlete was unable to get his prosthetic leg back on because his limb was so swollen.

Jody said it has meant he has missed both Wednesday and Thursday’s rehearsals.

He said: ‘It is healing and getting better. The swelling has gone down a little bit more.’

Jody will dance the American Smooth to Married Life from Up for Movie Week.

Last week he received 16 points for his Pasa Doble.

The swimmer told BBC Breakfast of his score this week: ‘Learning the steps, the constant repeating stuff.

‘I cannot get my left leg and my right leg to do what my brain is telling me, and that is really taxing.’

Jowita also admitted the competition was a ‘big challenge’ and ‘stressful’.

‘We throw somebody who’s never danced before in the room, telling the person: ‘You have four days to learn the routine, to perfect it, and perform it in front of millions of people,’ she said.

Jody admitted candidly: ‘The most used phrase in the dance room at the moment is ‘again’ and ‘one more time.’