Luuk de Jong going all out to speed up his recovery | OneFootball

Injuries always occur at inopportune moments, even for experienced athletes. At 35 years old and in his first season with FC Porto, Luuk de Jong suffered a medial collateral ligament injury in his left knee on September 8, during a training match with Lusitânia de Lourosa.

The Dutch forward has been sidelined from competitions since then, and there is still no clear forecast for his return. However, the dedication and professionalism with which he has approached his recovery – even aware that he has little left to prove – has been remarkable and justified his signing last summer.

The injury, caused by a collision with an opponent during that trial, also had a psychological impact on De Jong. The experienced striker had participated in the four matches for the Dragons up to that point and had scored his first goal in the previous match, at Alvalade, against Sporting. Nevertheless, he immediately decided to start the recovery process.

Since beginning rehabilitation, the international from the Oranje has given up most of his rest periods. On most days, De Jong arrives at Olival very early and only leaves late in the afternoon after completing various stages of the plan: sessions with the physiotherapist, individual work, and more recently, gym sessions.

The medical department of the blue and whites, considering the advanced stage of the striker's career, has avoided rushing stages and does not want to take unnecessary risks. De Jong abandoned the crutches at the end of September and has been using a knee brace on the left side for protection. He has also maintained daily contact with the coaching staff and teammates.

Besides the physical work, the forward has contributed to the positive atmosphere at Olival and Dragão, using his experience to motivate his teammates, especially Nehuén Pérez, who is going through a more delicate clinical situation.

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