Zidane puts plan in place for Keylor Navas return
The Costa Rican goalkeeper is now back to 100% following his achilles tendinopathy, but Zidane doesn't want to rush his Real Madrid number 1 back to action...
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While Keylor Navas has not been included in Zinedine Zidane’s squad for Wednesday night’s La Liga clash against Villarreal, the Real Madrid coach said the Costa Rican has been “spectacular” in training without wanting to put a fixed date on the goalkeeper’s return form injury.
Achilles tendon injury
AS understands that Navas has now completely recovered from his chronic achilles tendinopathy (which was operated on in June) and Zidane and his medical staff are putting into action a re-adaptation plan after receiving the green light from doctors.
Eibar game a possible return?
Despite it being over three months since the goalkeeper’s operation, Navas has only been able to work on his ankle for less than four weeks (he began training again on 23 August). And though the Costa Rican believes he’s physically ready to return to action, Zidane doesn’t want to rush it. The Frenchman has the idea of waiting until Real Madrid’s Champions League encounter against Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday to include him in his squad, with the La Liga game at the Bernabéu against Eibar (2 October) being lined up a possible return to the starting lineup.
Anxious Navas
Keylor is now said to be anxious over his return. He didn’t take any vacations this summer and has been doing double sessions in order to get back to fitness. And though he feels 100 percent, Zindane is sticking to his plan. For Zizou, the Costa Rican is his first-choice number ‘1’, but he is also delighted with how Kika Casilla has been deputising in Navas’ absence.
“He’s a boy who learns, and he’s comparable with Keylor,” Zidane has said on Casillas. “What I like is that he has no fear.”