Homegrown boost! Jair back in Vasco squad after serious injury | OneFootball

Vasco will have a much-celebrated in-house boost behind the scenes for this Thursday’s match. After nearly ten months of a long and painful recovery process, defensive midfielder Jair was officially named in the squad and traveled with the delegation to Salvador. The No. 8 has a chance to step onto the pitch again for the first time since suffering a serious injury last year.

The midfielder’s last appearance came in a match against Sport, when he suffered a multi-ligament injury to his right knee. On that occasion, the player partially tore his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament, in addition to injuring his menisci. It was the second highly serious injury the professional had faced in less than two years.

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Gradual recovery and training rhythm

Jair’s return to the pitch was planned with extreme caution by Vasco’s medical department. The player was integrated into partial on-field work with the rest of the squad back in May, receiving plenty of support from his teammates. Taking advantage of the break in domestic competitions due to the international national team tournament, he intensified his physical preparation activities and regained some match sharpness at the training center.

The player even took an active part in the preparatory training match against Olaria, in which the Vasco side ran out 6–0 winners, showing an excellent physical response. The plan is for the substitute to be used gradually over the next few matches to regain match rhythm without taking any new risks.

Learn about Jair’s journey at Vasco

Jair began his professional career at Internacional and rose to national prominence while playing for Atlético-MG, where he won major titles such as the Brazilian Championship and the Copa do Brasil in 2021. Known for his strong marking, good ball distribution, and runs into the opposition box, he was signed by Vasco at the beginning of 2023 to be one of the pillars of the midfield. Before suffering his serious injury, he had firmly established himself as an unquestioned starter in the Rio club’s lineup.

His return considerably broadens head coach Pedro Emanuel’s range of options for organizing the team’s central area. The Portuguese coaching staff is dealing with limited rotation after Hugo Moura’s departure during the calendar break. As the veteran only has a contract until the end of the current season, his presence is internally seen as an excellent option to strengthen the squad for the cup competitions and the league campaign.

Jair is back with the Vasco team – Photo: Alexandre Durão/ge

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