Expert explains Memphis injury, sets return date at Corinthians | OneFootball

The forward Memphis Depay, from Corinthians, suffered a bone edema in his left knee and missed the match against Cruzeiro last Sunday, during the 35th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The club did not provide a timeline for the player's recovery, but according to a specialist, his return could take four to six weeks.

According to Dr. Thiago Rebello, sports physiotherapist and specialist at Sonafe Brasil, this is the average time for a player to resume activities after suffering such an injury. However, this does not mean that Memphis is out for the season. As he himself said, the timeline is “quite variable” and depends on the “magnitude of the injury.”

“Although meniscal and ligament injuries are the best known after knee sprains, bone contusion from impact, which leads to bone edema, is also a relatively common trauma in these cases. The average time for the edema to be reabsorbed is quite variable and depends on its magnitude and the affected area,” said Thiago.

“Although the presence of edema on imaging exams can persist for months, the most important thing is the patient's clinical progress. Therefore, the prognosis for returning to training is around four to six weeks, which is usually the time it takes for symptoms to be fully controlled and for the athlete to return to sporting activities,” he added.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Recurrence of injuries

This was Memphis Depay's sixth injury for Corinthians this season. He has already spent more than 70 days away from the team due to physical problems in 2025.

Dr. Thiago explained the reasons that could be causing the Dutchman to suffer from this recurrence of injuries, and also pointed out the proper path to ensure that the number 10 returns to the field in the best possible condition.

“Regarding the recurrence of injuries, it is important to consider the mechanisms involved and the nature of the injuries. In some situations, there is a relationship with chronic overloads, but in this specific case, the injury apparently resulted from an isolated trauma, which is quite difficult and even questionable to prevent,” he commented.

“There is no exact formula for preventing injuries in high-performance sports. As a general rule, the first step is to ensure proper healing of the affected tissues and then establish a schedule for gradual exposure to training load and progressive development of the neuromuscular skills required by the sport,” he concluded.

Doubt for the decider

Memphis is doubtful for Corinthians’ upcoming matches. Dorival Júnior’s team still has three more games left in the Brasileirão before playing the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil against Cruzeiro. The decisive matches are scheduled for December 10 and 14.

The Dutchman has been undergoing intensive treatment to speed up his return to the pitch. Last Monday, he posted a video on his social media showing the joint puncture procedure and the application of hyaluronic acid.

(Photo: Reproduction/Instagram)

Next Corinthians match

Standings situation

Corinthians is coming off a tough defeat to Cruzeiro and no longer has a chance to reach the G7 of the Brasileirão. The team, however, is trying to stay among the top eight to keep alive the dream of playing in the Libertadores in 2026. Timão is currently in tenth place, with 45 points.

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