Ferland Mendy on way back after lengthy spell on sidelines
Mendy is back running at Valdebebas, however, it is clear to see that he has lost muscle mass during the time he has been out of action.
Ferland Mendy is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The French full-back, who has only played one game for Real Madrid since May (the Champions League defeat to Chelsea), is in a hurry to return to Carlo Ancelotti's squad. The idea is that, if all goes well, after the current international break, he will be back with the rest of the Madrid players.
Mendy out since May
The full-back is taking the necessary steps to make his return as smooth as possible. Back in May, he was diagnosed with a tibial periostitis. The medical services of the club have gone slowly with him. His initial recovery time was estimated between three and six weeks but it has kept him out for almost four months. Mendy played his last game in May, but of the last 10 matches that Madrid played last season he only featured against Chelsea for 63 minutes.
This week he has already been seen running around Valdebebas and has even started back with the ball. At the beginning of his spell on the sidelines, he couldn't do continuous running as the mere impact of the sole on the ground caused him pain. The loss of muscle mass he has suffered while he has been out of action is evident in the defender, as can be seen in the image above (the photo on the left is from early in this summer's pre-season, while the second is from last January).
Mendy missed the European Championship with France because of the injury sustained. The 26-year-old has made progress over the past two months of pre-season. The defender, who is in his third season as a Real Madrid player, now faces two challenges. The first is to recover fully from his injury and the second is to maintain his status as first choice left-back.