José Copete resumes partial group training with Valencia

Good news for Javier Aguirre: José Copete partially returned to Valencia’s group training on Saturday. The defender took part in a portion of the session alongside his teammates, seven months after a meniscus injury that kept him out longer than initially expected. The session marks an important step, though it does not mean he has resumed full training.

Copete was injured on February 22 during the match against Villarreal at La Cerámica. He suffered damage to the meniscus in his left knee, and complications led to a second operation. His partial return to collective work is therefore progress after a lengthy spell away from the pitch.

The development comes as Javier Aguirre takes charge of Valencia. The coach and defender have worked together before, during Aguirre’s time at Mallorca. Copete’s return gives the new coach an encouraging development as he begins his task with a team struggling in the league.

Aguirre took over at Valencia late last week. The club are currently second from bottom in the Liga, with four points after the first seven rounds. The squad will have Sunday off, then return to training next week to begin preparations for Aguirre’s first match in charge. Copete’s participation in part of the session is a first step, but does not yet establish when he will return to competition.