Eli Junior Kroupi nears return after metatarsal surgery, inside Bournemouth forward’s recovery | OneFootball

Eli Junior Kroupi could be back in action by the end of the month for Bournemouth. The forward’s last outing was on 24 May, a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

In another scenario he would be at Clairefontaine preparing France’s meeting with Belgium on Monday at 20:45. Instead he has split his time between club treatment and his family home. According to L'Équipe, Saturday brought the 20-year-old’s first light work back on grass, with running and small games with the ball.

He had surgery in London on 29 July for a fractured metatarsal, then took a short break in Brittany, in Lorient with his parents and sister. Rehabilitation was set entirely at the club, not at Clairefontaine or Capbreton, with long days at Bournemouth’s training base and pool work to maintain muscle tone that helped make him one of last season’s revelations, with 13 goals in 35 matches.

Kroupi lived this lay-off among team-mates, watching sessions through the training centre windows and following matches at home and away. On 17 September he asked to travel to San Sebastián for the Cherries’ first Europa League game of the season against Real Sociedad, which finished 2-1.

By early October he was not far from a return, with the trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on 25 October set as a possible horizon. He will listen to his body and will not take risks.

Barcelona made him a priority last summer, and the run-in awaits, very likely at Bournemouth.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”