Real Madrid looked as if they had finally found a functioning system in February, after comfortably dismissing Manchester City in the Champions League. However that short-lived balance was quickly thrown off, and it was impossible to escape the fact that it coincided with an injury to Dani Ceballos.
The 28-year-old former Real Betis man limped off at the end of February in the dying moments of their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Sociedad, as Los Blancos secured a 1-0 advantage at Anoeta. He was ruled out shortly afterwards for two months with a knee problem, and Real Madrid’s midfield struggles returned against Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid.
That lay-off should have kept him out of action until the end of April, with a potential return making him touch and go for a Copa del Rey final if Real Madrid should make it. However Ceballos is racing back to recover ahead of time according to Sport, and is looking to slice his recovery time by two weeks. His target date is the first leg of their Champions League clash against Arsenal on the 8th of April, which takes place in London at the Emirates. While the medical staff will take no risks with him, but he does appear to have a chance of doing so.
It would be the sixth time that a Real Madrid player has recovered from injury ahead of time, and it would be little surprise: the club policy dictates that they give longer than average recovery periods to allow their players plenty of time to come back.
Ceballos certainly would provide Carlo Ancelotti with an option he does not otherwise have though. His ability to circulate the ball and hold the line defensively with Aurelien Tchouameni has not been replicated by anyone else in the squad so far. In a side that has struggled to compete in midfield, Ceballos could be difference-maker for Los Blancos down the stretch.
