He returned for pre-season training in June 1992, and he played in a number of pre-season friendlies without incident, though his knee still required a lengthy period of rest after matches. Manager Peter Reid stated that "it's like being handed a new £3 million player". He started the opening Premier League game of the 1992–93 season on 17 August, a 1–1 draw with Queens Park Rangers, but was substituted 60 minutes in after feeling pressure in his knee. Despite still feeling that his knee needed rest he went on to play against Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park two days later. Ten minutes into the game his ligament snapped for the third time and he was substituted off. Six weeks later he travelled to Los Angeles to see Dr Sisto, an expert on cruciate ligament injuries. Before going on the trip he told "The Sunday People" that the club and chairman Peter Swales had not handled his injury in the correct manner and left him feeling like "a piece of meat" as players at other clubs received specialist treatment straight away and received appearance and bonus pay during long-term absences. Despite Lake being alone in America, the club refused to pay for his girlfriend to fly out to LA to be with him during his recovery from surgery, and so Niall Quinn and Peter Reid organised a whip-round to pay for her flight tickets. The lack of leg room on the economy flight back to the UK also damaged his knee, though the club had flown the fully fit club physio back to England in business class.