Memphis Depay faces an extended period on the sidelines after encountering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury, caused by a misjudgement from the fitness team at Corinthians.
As reported by ge.globo, Memphis was nearing the end of his rehabilitation programme when he was asked to undertake a strength exercise that was inappropriate for his recovery phase.
During the exercise, Memphis re-injured the front of his right thigh, worsening the grade 2 hamstring injury he had previously suffered. This oversight is now expected to postpone his return to the pitch by a minimum of two weeks.
The situation has sparked considerable tension between the striker and the coaching staff. Last Saturday, Memphis took to social media to express his displeasure, stating that his absence from the derby against Palmeiras was due to “a few mistakes”.
The initial injury occurred on 22 March during a Brasileirão match against Flamengo.
While on international duty, Memphis received intensive treatment in Europe after being called up for friendlies against Norway and Ecuador. He underwent rehabilitation under the guidance of the Dutch national team as well as private professionals, employing approaches that differed from those at Corinthians.
His recovery in Europe was progressing well enough that he returned to Brazil on 4 April, nearing full fitness. Memphis had hoped to feature in last Sunday’s derby against Palmeiras. However, due to this latest setback, the four-week timeline provided by the medical team is now void. It’s confirmed that he will miss this week’s Libertadores match against Santa Fe.
After dealing with fitness issues during Euro 2024, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman stated that Memphis Depay will only be included in the forthcoming FIFA World Cup squad if he is in peak condition: “He must be fully fit; if you wish to make an impact and be beneficial to the team, you need to be at 100 per cent.”
Compiled by SportArena.au
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