Former Gunner races to prove fitness ahead of Real Madrid’s trip to Emirates | OneFootball

Dani Ceballos is pushing to return from injury in time to face his former club in the Champions League.

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Dani Ceballos, who spent two largely forgettable seasons at Arsenal, is racing to recover in time for Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final clash against his former club.

The Spanish midfielder is now working to cut short a two-month injury layoff in the hope of returning for the first leg at the Emirates on 8 April.

Ceballos sustained a semimembranosus (hamstring) muscle injury in his left leg, affecting the tendon, during the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Sociedad on 26 February. He played the full 90 minutes but left the field visibly limping. Scans the following day confirmed the damage, and an initial timeline of at least two months on the sidelines was set.

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

However, according to Superdeporte, his recovery is progressing well, and he may return ahead of schedule. “The goal is to be available for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal,” the paper reports. Ceballos could resume ball work this week and potentially rejoin full training next week, depending on how he responds.

Though his official return date remains set for late April, Madrid’s recent record of accelerating injury returns offers hope. Jude Bellingham returned early from a right leg muscle injury, and Ceballos himself previously came back in just one month from a grade III ankle sprain initially expected to sideline him for two.

The likes of Éder Militão and Kylian Mbappé have also defied medical estimates this season.

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Ceballos’ return would be timely. After yet another season on the margins under Carlo Ancelotti, the Andalusian has worked his way back into the side, as he tends to do as the season comes to a close.

His ability to manage tempo and circulate possession has seen him rotate effectively with Luka Modrić who is now 39.

Though his time at Arsenal never quite lived up to the early promise, flashes of brilliance faded into inconsistency, and by the end, most fans had moved on, Dani Ceballos may yet return to north London with something to prove.