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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
THINGS are beginning to look up again for injured Zimbabwe international football striker Tino Kadewere as the forward yesterday returned on the pitch for the first time in over a month to start individual training as part of his recovery process.
Kadewere has been out of action since the beginning of September after suffering a serious injury to the quadriceps of his right leg.
The 26-year-old had just completed his move to Spanish club Real Mallorca on loan from Lyon and the knock came on the eve of a highly anticipated Spanish La Liga debut against reigning champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The club yesterday gave an update on the progress made by Kadewere, fullbacks Jaume Costa and Gio González ahead of their next league match against Sevilla this Saturday at the Iberostar Stadium.
The trio trained separately and Real Mallorca posted images of the players as they went through their individual paces.
However, Kadewere is not expected back into competitive football until next January owing to the nature of his injury.
The Zimbabwean forward has so far missed four Spanish La Liga games since joining Real Mallorca and could sit out the next six leading to the FIFA break which begins mid-November.
Kadewere is expected to continue with his rehabilitation and may only be available after the World Cup. Initial reports had suggested that he could start training in December but he appears to be making quick progress as he has returned to the pitch earlier than that.
The injury which at first was thought to be a minor knock was later discovered to be more serious than expected, his coach Javier Aquirre told the Spanish publication, Marca. “It’s a complete setback,” Aguirre.
“The training ended and he felt something strange. We did an MRI and it’s a bit more serious than expected.
“Now we have two options: a conservative recovery or a minimal intervention. I couldn’t talk about deadlines. We fought for him and it’s a shame.”
Sports injury experts said, depending on the degree of the injury, quad ruptures normally sideline players for at least six months. But in the case of Kadewere, January is more practical, with the striker expected to be out for at least four months.
Kadwere had two choices to deal with the injury. The first was to pass through the operating room and fix the problem quickly and the second, which Mallorca and his parent club Olympique Lyon finally chose to follow, was the conservative treatment.
Reports from Spain, however, suggested that Kadewere could have undergone surgery. Real Mallorca have had a lukewarm start to the season after winning two of their eight opening games.
They have lost three and drawn three, to give them nine points. The club is currently occupying 12th place in the 20-team league.
If all goes according to plan, Kadewere is set to become the first Zimbabwean player to play in the Spanish La Liga. He joined the club on loan from French side Olympique Lyon, after falling out of favour with the coach Peter Bosz, who was sacked last week for poor results. Mallorca, who have been poor in front of goal after scoring only seven goals in eight starts, desperately need to turn their fortunes around and Kadewere could be the answer.
Online Reporter