Atletico Madrid star set for return to matchday squad for first time in nine months against Mallorca

The last nine months have been very difficult for Atletico Madrid defender Reinildo Mandava. Back in February, he suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury whilst playing against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, an injury that has kept him out of action until this day.

However, he is close to making a comeback. The 29-year-old has been in training for the last few weeks, but Diego Simeone and his coaching staff have been keen to take things slow with his recovery.

Despite having returned to his homeland of Mozambique earlier in the week to deal with a personal issue, Relevo say that Reinildo is expected to be in the matchday squad for Atleti this weekend, as they take on Mallorca at the Civitas Metropolitano on Saturday evening.

If/when he makes his Atletico Madrid return, it will be a proud moment for Reinildo, who has worked incredibly hard to come back from an injury that has struck several La Liga players over the last 12 months.