Jair named in Vasco squad to face Vitória after almost 10 months out | OneFootball

Jair is back in the Vasco squad after almost 10 months out. The midfielder will be named in the group for Thursday’s 19th-round Campeonato Brasileiro match at Barradão against Vitória, kick-off 19:30 Brasília time, and may play for the first time since his serious knee injury last September.

According to Globo.com, his last match was against Sport, where he sustained a multiligament injury to his right knee. He partially tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, and also damaged the menisci. It was his second serious knee injury in less than two years.

The comeback follows a long rehabilitation. In May he resumed partial training with the group at CT Moacyr Barbosa, greeted warmly by team-mates who had followed his recovery closely.

During the Campeonato Brasileiro pause for the World Cup, the number eight stepped up his physical work to rebuild match rhythm. He featured in a training game against Olaria, a 6-0 win for Vasco, and responded well.

Jair will start on the bench, with a gradual reintegration planned after close to a year away. Before the setback he had secured a starting role in Vasco’s midfield.

His return increases Pedro Emanuel’s options for the middle of the park on the coach’s debut. The unit lost Hugo Moura during that period, and the board are still seeking a midfielder in the transfer window. Jair is contracted until the end of the season and is viewed as depth as Vasco also approach the Copa Sul-Americana and Copa do Brasil knockouts.

Source: Globo.com