How Samu returned almost two months ahead of schedule | OneFootball

Samu, the Spanish international, has made his competitive return almost two months earlier than forecast after a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

According to O Jogo, surgery took place in Madrid in February and the initial target was November in line with strict medical protocols, with Farioli repeatedly setting that timeline and stressing no steps would be rushed.

Back at Olival, Samu followed an ultra-intense plan that at times involved three sessions a day, splitting work between the gym, specific treatments and functional recovery. He even shortened his summer break to keep the process moving.

During a brief family trip to Spain he continued the programme, accompanied daily by a Porto physiotherapist who supervised on-field work under Pedro Miguel Silva, whom the forward publicly thanked last week. Studies typically indicate six to nine months to play again, yet his physiology and discipline accelerated progress without compromising safety.

His strength gains impressed staff, with training loads rising steadily. He recently shared a video performing a 200 kilogram leg exercise, and his current metrics are described as stronger than before the injury.

Before the City game he trained in front of the cameras for the first time, then logged 15 minutes in a friendly with Académica. After fresh assessments by Porto’s medical team and his surgeons, he was cleared for selection, featuring for five minutes against Benfica. He marked the moment as arriving 223 days after the injury, thanking God, his family, friends and Porto supporters in a social post.

Source: O Jogo

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