Overview

• The midfielder made a late substitute appearance in the 2-0 win over Espanyol, his first minutes after roughly two months out.
• He underwent shoulder surgery in July in London and publicly thanked surgeons Andrew Wallace and Susan Alexander and the Fortius Clinic.
• Real Madrid shifted his program from the bulking approach used under Antonio Pintus to a slimmer profile, per AS reporting.
• The change aims to improve speed, agility and endurance to meet Xabi Alonso’s pressing demands.
• His return arrived earlier than an initial October target, with the club easing him back through managed minutes and first-team training.