André Martins and Joaquim Garcia Filho review CESP in press conference | OneFootball

Marcelo Vidal / Ceará SC

Ceará’s Center for Health and Performance (CESP) coordinator, André Martins, and head physician Joaquim Garcia Filho took part this Friday, the 31st, at Carlos de Alencar Pinto (CAP), in Porangabuçu, in a press conference to provide updates on the clinical situations of the athletes currently in the Medical Department.

André Martins opened the press conference by highlighting CESP’s work to reduce injuries and explained that the highest rate occurred due to joint-related issues, noting how complex it is to prevent this type of injury. In total, 15 joint injuries were recorded, representing 53.5% of all incidents registered so far this season.

Asked about the level of performance shown by academy players, André Martins explained that this is the result of work developed by the department from the youth levels onward, together with the fitness staff, so that younger players can sustain their performance under the demands of professional competitions.

"This is the result of many hands. The performance they have been showing at the professional level, not only because of the absence of injuries, but also because of the indicators, the metrics we monitor, the GPS data, their ability to recover between matches, all of this is the result of long-term work that has been very well done and integrated between the youth levels and the professional squad, from strength work, exposure to workloads, to good communication regarding these training sessions. We are happy that this is producing results, not only because the athletes are not getting injured, but because they are delivering what we expect from them," said André Martins.

Regarding the athletes following CESP’s medical protocol, such as center-back Luizão, right-back Rafael Ramos, and defensive midfielder Zanocelo, Joaquim Garcia Filho explained each one’s clinical condition and, lastly, highlighted center-back Luiz Otávio’s return to training after recovering from muscle edema.

"Zanocelo has been recovering from a complex injury to the posterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his right knee. This week, he completed 12 weeks of recovery. It was an injury that happened in the match against Vitória in the Copa do Nordeste. He is beginning the strengthening phase aimed at regaining strength, doing some work on the field, such as straight-line running. And all of this is part of the protocol we established. There are still four weeks left before he can be reassessed and, if all goes well, cleared. Rafael Ramos will begin the transition on Monday. He had a sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his knee. He is an athlete we are handing over to the fitness staff one week earlier than originally planned. Luizão is sidelined with patellar tendinitis in his left knee and is already working on the field with physiotherapy. Next Monday, he will begin the transition. Luiz Otávio has fully recovered from the edema that kept him out of the last match, and today he is already training with the group," explained Joaquim Garcia Filho.

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