According to reporter Niu Zhiming's revelation, Taishan's foreign aid Zeca's treatment recovery period needs at least two weeks. If he can make an appearance in the AFC Champions League play-offs, it will undoubtedly be a piece of good news.
For Zeca, who has just struggled back from injury, the road back to competition is a rocky one, with three major challenges in front of him. First and foremost was the recovery of physical fitness. As Zeca was injured early in winter training, his fitness reserve was almost zero. Not only will he have to rebuild his fitness, but he will also have to make up for the gaps in his training, which will have a profound effect on his future playing time.
The second test is to adapt to the team confrontation. Currently, Zeca can only receive solo training under the guidance of the team doctor, and in the future he will need to be integrated into the team practice in order to truly regain his competitive status. Once he is back, the intensity of the game may be far more than the training, so he must also be fully prepared.
The third hurdle is the psychological one. Zeca suffered his first serious injury, psychological adjustment is crucial. As the tactical core of the Taishan team, he will be the target of close monitoring by the opponents, so he must prepare himself psychologically in advance and adapt to this pressure in order to play freely in the game.
Zeca's chances of playing in the upcoming three rounds of the Chinese Super League are limited, and the coaching team will decide based on his recovery. If Zeca can reach the mark in the AFC Champions League play-offs, Taishan's morale will be greatly boosted. Even if he only plays as a substitute, he can bring new variables to the team's tactics.
As for when Zeca will be able to return to action, manager Choi Kang-hee may reveal more information at the pre-match conference in Henan.
