Southampton teenager Juan Larios may make his long-awaited return from injury later this season, manager Russell Martin has stated.
In recent years, Southampton has done business with Manchester City numerous times. Gavin Bazunu, Romeo Lavia, and Shea Charles have all signed from Premier League championship challengers, although Spanish prodigy Larios has not received as much attention as others.
Since joining the Saints in the summer of 2022, the 20-year-old has only appeared five times for the club. His last appearance was in November 2022, after a long-term injury and setbacks forced him to miss a significant amount of time.
Larios has been undertaking a rehabilitation program in his home Spain. However, a return to action may not be far away.
Southampton manager Russell Martin confirmed to the Daily Echo that Larios has returned to the facility and is expected to resume training within the next month. As a result, he may return to contention near the end of the season.
“He is here, he is back in the building and it has been lovely to have him back for the last few weeks,” he said.
“He is gradually but steadily improving, and we want to fully integrate him back into the squad over the next three to four weeks. He has a lot of work to do before he gets there. It’s good to have him, and we genuinely like Juan, albeit we’ve been disappointed with him.”
Martin later spoke about his plans to return, saying:
“The idea is to keep him training and get him to a point where he can be involved every day, preparing for a successful pre-season. If we get anything else, in terms of getting on the field and playing some minutes, it will be a huge plus for everyone.”
A careful return to fitness
After such a long absence, Larios and Southampton will take every precaution throughout his recuperation. According to Martin, a return before the end of the season is possible, but not forced.
The focus is on getting him ready for next season, which appears to be a sensible decision. While losing a significant amount of time early in his career is disappointing, the focus must now be on gradually and painstakingly working his way back to 100%.
Larios was a potential talent in Manchester City’s youth ranks, and his move to Southampton appeared to be a significant step toward regular senior football.
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