Real Madrid are awaiting the return of their Brazilian star Éder Militão, who suffered an injury that kept him out for a long time and forced him to undergo a demanding operation to regain his fitness.
The Merengue centre-back received good news when Finnish doctor Lasse Lempainen, the man who performed the surgery, visited him at Valdebebas.
Marca newspaper carried the doctor's comment via his social media accounts, where he said: "A wonderful day in Madrid with Éder Militão and Real Madrid's medical and technical staff. Éder continues to progress according to the plan after undergoing surgery to treat his serious injury to the (knee) tendon."
He added: "We were pleased to contribute our expertise and experience to his return to the pitch, with the aim of helping him return safely and deliver the best possible performance. Many thanks to Éder and everyone at Real Madrid for the excellent cooperation and the successful day."
Lempainen confirmed: "Returning to the pitch is a great achievement, and the goal is to restore the highest level of performance."
Militão went under the knife to treat a rupture of the knee tendons on 28 April 2026. Doctors expected recovery to take five months, so he is now in the final stretch.
Just a few days ago, cameras caught the centre-back back on the pitch for an intensive physical training session, proof that he is recovering well.
According to Marca, "after this examination carried out by the surgeon... which produced a very positive result", only one step remains: "for him to begin working with the team and integrate into it fully".
His return, the paper confirmed, "will depend on how much he progresses in training with his team-mates and the time he needs to reach peak physical fitness to join the team, but that is expected to be next October".