Home-grown boost: Mateus Carvalho over serious injury, back at Vasco | OneFootball

​Defensive midfielder Mateus Carvalho has officially been cleared by Vasco’s medical department and is ready to return to the pitch after nearly nine months out. Wearing the No. 85 shirt, he was medically discharged this Monday (28) and resumed normal activities with the rest of the first-team squad at São Januário, marking the end of a long post-surgery recovery and becoming a major in-house boost for the decisive stretch of the season.

​The confirmation of his return was announced by RR Sports Agency, the firm responsible for managing the player’s career. According to the official statement from his representatives, the midfielder completed every stage of the physiotherapy protocol without any clinical setbacks, receiving final clearance from specialists to work with the ball again and rejoin tactical training under the coaching staff.

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?Overcoming injury and returning to Vasco

​The midfielder’s ordeal began in December 2025, when he suffered a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the warm-up for the Copa do Brasil final against Corinthians. The injury ruled him out of the final in São Paulo and required a complex surgical procedure in early January, sidelining him for all of Vasco’s matches and keeping him focused on intensive physiotherapy sessions at São Januário.

​Throughout the first half of the year, the player followed a disciplined routine of strength training in the gym and recovery work with the medical staff. The gradual process allowed the midfielder to regain joint stability and fitness without rushing, following the timetable set by the orthopedic specialists until reaching the ideal levels of muscle mass and power to handle the demands of competitive matches.

Photo: Reproduction

?New options for Pedro Emanuel

​The midfielder’s reintegration comes as immediate relief for coach Pedro Emanuel’s planning at Vasco. With the schedule packed by the final stages of knockout competitions and the need to keep picking up points in the Brasileirão, he now becomes a reliable option for ball-winning and tackling, providing rotation in the holding midfield role in lineups put together at São Januário.

​The coaching staff is now drawing up a gradual transition plan so that the No. 85 can regain match fitness in training games before being called up for the club’s next official fixtures. His presence in full-team training restores solidity to the midfield marking and raises the level of internal competition, expanding the range of options as Vasco looks for important wins through the end of the year.

Pedro Emanuel gains another option with Mateus Carvalho’s return – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

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