Luan Peres: In top form after injury, mindset is key | OneFootball

The defender Luan Peres is experiencing his best moment after recovering from a severe injury to his right knee – at least that's what the player himself believes. After a tough battle, the defender returned to the field for Santos last season and recalled the difficult recovery process.

Luan Peres suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee, which kept him off the field for just over a year. In this second half of the year, he has reestablished himself as a defensive pillar for Peixe and has played 31 matches, being the team's defender with the most games this season.

“After the injury, definitely [he is living his best moment]. It was a PCL [posterior cruciate ligament], but the recovery time is the same. It's eight to ten months, so it was complicated for me. I didn't know what it was like to have an injury of this level, not only in terms of recovery time but also in returning. It feels like you come back rusty, you can't perform like before, and you end up frustrated because of it, thinking you'll never be what you were. It seems silly, but it's not,” analyzed the defender in a press conference last Friday.

The defender's knee problem was diagnosed in August 2023, when he was still playing for Fenerbahce, Turkey. He only returned to the field in September 2024, already with Santos, when he played for a few minutes in the victory over América-MG, still in the Série B of the Brazilian Championship.

“We gradually forget about it, the body starts to return, to get used to it, especially now, with more intense training and game rhythm. The mind plays a fundamental role in this. We turn the page, sometimes I don't even think about it anymore, I don't even care about it. This confidence that we gain is fundamental. I'm definitely living my best moment now,” he added.

Defender values Vojvoda's confidence

Luan Peres has established himself as one of Santos' main players under coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda. Wearing the number 14 jersey, he started in seven of the eight matches with the new coach and has been forming a duo with Argentine Adonis Frías.

The defender acknowledged that he fluctuated at certain moments of the season, even losing his starting spot between February and May. With Cléber Xavier, Luan Peres regained his starting position and was maintained by Vojvoda.

“We work for this. I think every player wants to be playing. I fluctuated at some moments of the season, but I think now, especially with the arrival of the new coach, with his new philosophy, the more intense training, we are more prepared in the matches. I'm happy to have his confidence, to be playing, and I hope to maintain this same rhythm,” said the defender.

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