Rodrygo gets back on the ball at Valdebebas in major rehabilitation step

Rodrygo is beginning to see the light. On Monday, the Brazilian reached one of the most eagerly awaited stages of his long rehabilitation process by getting back on the ball at Valdebebas. It may seem like a routine gesture, but it carries particular weight for a player who has been away from the pitch for more than six months.

To understand the significance of this progress, one must go back to the night of March 2. Against Getafe at the Bernabéu, an unfortunate incident changed the course of his season. Rodrygo suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral meniscus in his right knee, the most serious injury of his career. He underwent surgery on March 10 and then began a rehabilitation programme estimated at eight to nine months.

The injury ruled him out of the decisive end to the previous season. Since then, the winger has moved through the stages patiently and without rushing, while the club has remained firm about respecting the timetable.

An initial major milestone came at the start of September, when he returned to continuous running away from the group at the Ciudad Deportiva. “What a great feeling to run on the pitch again!” he wrote on social media at the time. Several weeks of work then separated that controlled return to running from Monday’s ball work.

With the ball back at his feet, Rodrygo is entering the final stretch of a process whose target remains set between December and January. The next phase remains delicate: he must regain his feel, match rhythm and complete confidence in a knee that had to be reconstructed. It has also been reported that Mourinho has not yet been able to manage a fully fit Rodrygo or rely on him during pre-season.

Ancelotti is closely monitoring his progress. Last month, he visited Valdebebas to check on Rodrygo and the other Brazilians, with the player also part of his plans for the national team. The hardest part is now behind him, however, as he gradually moves closer to rejoining a team that has changed in the meantime.

Rodrygo is not the only one beginning to see the treatment room gradually empty. Éder Militao is already running with his teammates and last week received a visit at Valdebebas from the medical team that operated on him in Finland. Ferland Mendy is also making progress in his conditioning and working with the ball. These staggered returns should give Mourinho back players he has been without for much of the start of the season.