On Thursday, Robin Le Normand made his long-awaited return to action for Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey tie against Cacereno. The 28-year-old defender, who signed from Real Sociedad during the summer, had been out since the Madrid derby in September - when he suffered a traumatic brain injury after an accidental collision with Aurelien Tchouameni.
Le Normand will have the chance to make his first La Liga appearance since that day when Atleti host Sevilla on Sunday. Ahead of that match, he spoke to the club's official media channels (via MD) about his recovery.
"The injury was very serious, it's something that you don't see much in football. We had to be careful. The whole club, my teammates, the medical staff have been very close, they have taken great care of me and I appreciate it very much.
"The hardest thing is because it's your passion to play football, how you manage emotions, your helplessness of wanting to do more, wanting to help the team and not being able to... You can be with your teammates on a day-to-day basis and you can't help on the pitch. That's the most complicated thing. Luckily it's been two months and it's not much either. For any footballer to be stopped, to be with the doubts of whether I will be able to play again or not, how your body will react... These are questions that you have to handle and it is complicated.
"It was a tough moment, but among my teammates, my friends, my family, the club and the fans, the truth is that I appreciate it a lot and now I am available, waiting for my opportunity to return that affection."
Le Normand's return is very good news for Atletico Madrid, although he has not been missed in recent weeks because of Clement Lenglet's fine run of form. Nevertheless, his re-integration into Diego Simeone's squad is valuable.