Optimistic over recovery, Lucas eyes return later this year | OneFootball

Attacking midfielder Lucas Moura shared encouraging updates on his rehabilitation process and projected his return to the pitch for São Paulo.

In an interview with ESPN, the club icon revealed that the expectation is for him to play again as early as November and detailed the intense training routine he has been following to speed up his recovery.

Reflecting on his treatment period, Lucas highlighted that the most critical phase has already been overcome and celebrated his progress in daily activities at the Barra Funda training center and at home.

“That’s the plan. I’m progressing very well, already running on the field. And the expectation is that in November I’ll be back on the field. That’s my focus, and I’m working very hard for it,” he said.

“Thank God the worst is already behind me. The first month, the first two months, it’s the exact same thing every day: stretcher, just the shin guard here, that exercise there, then electrical stimulation, ultrasound… That’s all, every day. Now I’m past that stage, so I can already do weight training, I can already jog on the field, I can already ride the bike and do quite a lot of things. Time goes by faster, right? When the number of exercises increases, time goes by faster. So I do that at the training center, and at home I work on upper body, massage, bike too. And that’s the daily routine, every day at the training center, at home, and the pool at home at night too so I can come back stronger,” he added.

In addition to his medical routine, the No. 7 also assessed the team’s recent performances on the field and stressed the importance of turning good displays into wins.

“No, the team is very confident. I’ve felt improvement in the team, and I think the team is playing well. Now we need to combine performance with results. Especially in the first half, the team has been playing very well; in the second half, it has lost focus a little, conceded goals, but I think it’s creating chances and being solid in games. Now we need to combine, as I said, performance with results, and I hope it starts today so we can really go on a run this season,” he explained.

Asked about the renewal of his contract with Tricolor, the player took a cautious tone and emphasized that his absolute priority at the moment is full physical recovery before moving forward in talks about the future:

“Let’s get back first, and then we can look at that,” he said.

Recovering from surgery on the calcaneal tendon in his right leg, Lucas had already been doing exercises on the treadmill and the bike.

The player suffered a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon in his right leg on May 3, 2026, during the match against Bahia in the Brazilian Championship, shortly after recovering from a spell on the sidelines due to knee pain.

The No. 7 underwent surgery to repair the injury on May 4. Initially, the prognosis indicated that the player would only be cleared to return to normal training in the final stretch of the year, with the risk of being unavailable to the club until the end of the season.

Progress in Rehabilitation and Expected Return

According to information from the player’s agent, Júnior Pedroso, Lucas’s clinical progress has exceeded the initial expectations of the coaching staff and the club’s physiotherapists.

The new projection points to the possibility of the player being available again between the end of September and the beginning of October.

Before the injury, the forward had made 17 appearances during the year, with three goals and one assist.

Contract Situation

Lucas’s physical progress comes at a decisive moment for his future at Morumbi.

With a contract valid until December 2026, the parties have still not defined the terms of a possible extension, although talks are advanced due to the player’s desire to remain.

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