Rodrygo Returns to Ball Work at Valdebebas Following ACL Surgery
Rodrygo Goes returned to ball training at Valdebebas on Monday morning, his first session with a football since he ruptured knee ligaments against Getafe on 2 March. The Brazilian forward has spent almost seven months working through a rehabilitation programme away from the pitch he shares with his Real Madrid teammates.
Monday’s session is the clearest sign yet of the Rodrygo injury return that supporters have been tracking since his surgery in March. He trained under close supervision from the club’s medical staff at the Valdebebas complex.
Marca Report Details Milestone Step as Rodrygo Reaches Ball Phase
According to Marca, Rodrygo felt the touch of a football again during Monday’s session at Valdebebas, a milestone his medical team had been building towards for weeks. The outlet reported that ball work was only introduced once his knee had shown it could handle running loads without setbacks.
Rodrygo has been open about his recovery throughout. When he first returned to individual running drills on the pitch at Ciudad Deportiva in early September, he wrote: “What a great feeling to be back running on the field!” That moment came roughly six months after surgeons repaired his anterior cruciate ligament and external meniscus, a rupture serious enough to end his season the instant it happened.
Monday’s ball work builds directly on that running phase and pushes him another step closer to full training with the group, as first reported by Goal.
Mourinho Squad Context and Rodrygo’s Goal Record at Real Madrid
Real Madrid have needed forwards to stay fit this season. The club sit fourth in La Liga with 15 points from seven matches under manager Jose Mourinho, a start that leaves little room for further setbacks in attack. Rodrygo’s absence has been one of several fitness concerns at Valdebebas this year, alongside recent knee injury updates at Valdebebas involving other squad members.
Mourinho has had to weigh tactical options across the squad while waiting for his attackers to return to full fitness. Rodrygo’s comfort on either flank, or through the middle, would give the manager another way to unlock defences once he is back among the group.
Rodrygo joined Real Madrid from Santos in 2019 and has gone on to make 297 appearances for the club, scoring 71 goals along the way. His importance goes beyond the numbers; he remains a regular starter for Brazil too. Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil head coach, visited Valdebebas last month specifically to check on Rodrygo’s condition, a sign of how closely his recovery is being followed well beyond Madrid.
Expected Return Timeline and Next Steps in ACL Recovery Process
Rodrygo’s timeline has been mapped closely since the injury. He ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament and external meniscus in his right knee against Getafe on 2 March, then underwent successful surgery eight days later on 10 March, with doctors setting an eight to nine month recovery window. He returned to individual running at the start of September before Monday’s step onto the ball.
Real Madrid expect the whole process to conclude between December and January, when Rodrygo should be available for full training and match selection again. This is the Rodrygo injury return moment fans have circled since March, and the next one arrives once full training minutes are back on the table.
