Fabian Ruiz nears PSG return after two months out | OneFootball

Fabian Ruiz is nearing a return after being out since 20 January. It remains uncertain whether the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder will be ready for Friday’s Ligue 1 opening fixture of matchday 28 against Toulouse at 20:45.

According to L'Équipe, the 29-year-old last played in the Champions League league-phase defeat at Sporting Portugal, 1-2. A left-knee contusion was complicated by inflammation. The club’s stance is he will not be risked while pain persists, and this injury requires complete recovery.

PSG’s medical bulletin due on Thursday should clarify matters. Ruiz is in the final stage of his return-to-play protocol, with a genuine chance of making the squad to face Toulouse.

The optimistic path is a gradual build-up through April. In the meantime he could be used off the bench, offering Luis Enrique another option before Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals on 8 April and 14 April.

He has avoided contact but kept fit with gym and tailored work. During the international break he travelled to Badajoz to accelerate reconditioning with a personal coach, then returned to Poissy on Tuesday for ball work with Senny Mayulu, who has a right-calf issue from the 4-0 at Nice on 21 March.

His comeback will also sharpen competition in midfield, where Warren Zaïre-Emery has grown in recent weeks. Last season the France international’s January left-ankle sprain opened the door for a Ruiz-Vitinha-Joao Neves trio that impressed in Europe. Staff view competition as a productive lever for the collective.

Source: L'Équipe