Francesco Farioli amazed by Samu's injury comeback: “Beyond human limits” | OneFootball

FC Porto and Moreirense open the fourth round of the Primeira Liga, in a match brought forward with Francesco Farioli paying close attention to Samu Aghehowa’s recovery process. The Porto coach praised the striker’s commitment, the support of the medical staff, and the need not to rush his return. Despite wanting him back, he assured: “He is still in the process.”

In his preview of the clash with Moreirense, Francesco Farioli made Samu Aghehowa the focus of a message built on ambition and caution. The striker is a player the coach wants back quickly, but without allowing competitive urgency to outweigh the physical and physiological signs that still need to be respected.

Asked about Samu’s registration for the Champions League, Farioli did not hide the player’s importance to the team or his admiration for the way he has handled the layoff. The coach described an effort taken to the extreme, but made it clear that the final decision will depend on the medical assessment.

“Samu registered for the Champions League? He is a player who is extremely important for us. We are all waiting for him as soon as possible. I want to have this bullet in the chamber. We will be careful; he has been doing a fantastic job, with the desire to push himself to the limit, even beyond the limit. He went beyond the limits of human ability to cope with the effort and the work. The work done with Pedro—he was practically sleeping with him—has been remarkable, as has the work of the medical team,” he said. “I would love to put him in the starting eleven tomorrow; he is a monster waiting for the opportunity. There are still physical and physiological things to respect. We will try to shorten the layoff, but we cannot put the player at risk because of the desire and feeling of wanting him back. Before he returns to official competition, I want all green lights from the medical team. He is still in the process. His mentality and desire make it difficult to keep him out. This period has made him understand the importance of hard work. He is even better now in several physical parameters. We do not want to force anything.”

Between the urgency of having a player he considers decisive available and the duty to protect the athlete, Farioli drew a clear line. The praise for the intensity of the recovery does not change the principle the coach wants to uphold: Samu will only return when all conditions are in place.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.