After being laid low by a bout of pericarditis since September 30, Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal is looking ahead to hopefully participating in the Madrid derby on November 18.
The player is in the final stages of recovery but his situation is still a little uncertain, in case the disease conditions him in some way over the coming days.
"His training should be very little by little, in a very progressive way," explained Dr. Cesar Quesada, from the FIFA Ripoll Excellence Clinic and De Prado Sport Clinic.
"The average athlete is 4-6 weeks off, but if there is a relapse rate, I imagine that they will have extended the window of his return to have more guarantees that everything is perfect.
"Some alterations in the electrocardiogram of the elite athlete can persist, even when the disease is over, so only the experience of the cardiologist and the successive complementary tests requested from the athlete can allow us to discharge him completely for strenuous physical activity.
"High performance levels are a gigantic stress and it's true that they are used to it, but after several weeks doing nothing the normal thing is that it costs you at the beginning."
Carvajal's condition required maximum attention and caution, among other things because the risk of a relapse was present.
"There is a relatively high relapse rate, between 15 and 20 percent," Dr. Quesada continued.
"Therefore, it is the cardiologist who should determine the steps to be followed later by the athlete, always under the parameters of a very progressive and always asymptomatic reincorporation."
What seems clear is that it will be a while until Carvajal regains a state of optimal form at all levels.
"It is a return to normal after a period without training for a month, where the rest should be absolute, and obviously will affect the time to get back in shape again," Dr. Quesada noted.
"You also have to find your confidence again.
"With the heart, there are people who are more apprehensive than others, but Carvajal must be calm.
"Once he's discharged, he won't require further follow-up."