Rafa Benitez has given an injury update on Florian Lejeune, and it’s good news.
The French center-back could be back in full training in weeks.
It appears that the surgery and follow-on rehabilitation of famed surgeon Professor Paolo Mariani is paying dividends again.
The defender ruptured his ACL in training in late July and was operated on in early August.
Under Professor Mariani players can return from serious ACL injuries in four to six months and it looks like Florian will be back within that timeframe.
The 27-year-old is already sprinting and doing ball work, and he has had no relapses during his recovery, which is excellent news for him and for Newcastle.
Florian Lejeune – recovering in Rome back in August
This is what Rafa has said about the Frenchman’s recovery:
“The Italian people who did the operation are around, checking, and he’s fine,”
“I don’t want to be too optimistic, but he’s had a couple of training sessions doing the warm-up with the team. “
“On the ball, he can do almost everything, but he has to improve. He has to be stronger, quicker, and after he has to train with the team. “
“After training with the team for a while, we can take the risk of playing him in games. It’s going really well.”
“We’ll see how long it takes, but I think it will be sooner than everybody was expecting at the beginning.”
Great credit has to go to the player himself who has worked really hard to get back playing for Newcastle.
He stayed in Rome with his wife for a couple of months to be under the direct supervision of Professor Mariani, and he’s done really well.
But you cannot rush these things too much – but he could be back playing even by the second half of December?
This is excellent news for Newcastle and for Florian himself, who was outstanding for us earlier this year by helping us escape from relegation and finish 10th in the league.
And there’s going to be some real competition for the central defensive positions when he’s back with Lejeuene, Lascelles, Fernandez, Schar, and Clark all available.
It’s a strong part of our team.
Comments welcome.
5 comments so far
RobLeenio
Nov 8, 2018 at 9:49 AM
Comment #1Jib from previous – If you really want to, you can look back at the threads around the time of Lascelle’s contract award and find me suggesting something similar. There has to be a reason to give him a pay rise, rearranging the wage structure is one potential candidate, agreed.
Apparently the lad has come out and said “Money isn’t everything in football”, however, which suggests he’s not so easily bought.
RobLeenio
Nov 8, 2018 at 9:56 AM
Comment #2Clark has to be sold in January – there’s no need for five CBs, when Dummett could cover (though who would cover him is the question there). We also have some good defenders in the junior ranks who could cover at a push.
Jib
Nov 8, 2018 at 9:58 AM
Comment #3Just a fan
Don’t think Frank Clarke’s was ever capped
Successful team.not in my eyes.mid table mainly
Never capped – true – however he did play in every
game of the Intercities Fairs cup winning campaign
which is more success than the last 40 years.
lesh
Nov 8, 2018 at 10:10 AM
Comment #4And Clarkey was one of a fairly rare breed – a right-footed left back. If memory serves me well, he only ever scored one goal for us at a senior level.
carltoon
Nov 8, 2018 at 1:20 PM
Comment #5Yes Lesh the one goal was roundly discussed yesterday after I brought it up. I am sure I bought a record he made playing his guitar. Indoor it at a car boat sale for ten pence.