There is a clear, yet unproven correlation between recovery and mentality, and Real Madrid is the perfect example of the same.
Vinicius Jr. and Eduardo Camavinga proved the same earlier this year when they cut short their recovery time from injury and returned to the dynamics ahead of their expected dates. Eder Militao is the latest, and biggest example of the same.
Blasting past deadlines
The centre-back suffered a serious ACL rupture to his left knee joint on the first matchday of La Liga. As is the usual prognosis with ACL tears, he was expected to face at least eight months on the sidelines with a recovery expected towards the end of April.
According to reports from MARCA, however, Militao has crushed all his deadlines and is set for an early return. He is already working with the ball in training and is at the doorstep of returning to partial training with the team.
If everything goes to plan, he will be available at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal in just over a month.
Late February to early March is the timeframe expected for his return, thus reducing his time on the sidelines to just over five months.
A big boost
From the day Militao left the field injured, he has shown no dearth of perseverance and belief to speed up his recovery process. He is seeing the fruits of the same effort now, and so is Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian tactician has been strapped for resources at centre-back in recent months, especially after David Alaba suffered the same fate at the end of 2023.
Moreover, the board voted against making a signing in the winter, leaving him with just two starting options.
Militao’s impending return will only add to the arsenal comprising Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez and provide the manager with the required depth in a critical department.