How Axel Witsel got fit for the EC record speed | EC Football 2020

The sound was passing through the marrow and bone. Even his colleagues heard the loud pop.

On January 9, 2021, half an hour after playing against RB Leipzig, Axel Witsel feels an excruciating pain in his lower left leg. Without a nearby discount, without other provable reason. Just bad luck.

The grimace on the midfielder’s face immediately shows seriousness. fairly. The medical judgment is heavy: an Achilles tendon rupture – one of the most serious injuries in major sports – which usually takes 6-7 months to recover from.

So it makes sense that there are immediately big question marks behind Axel Witsel’s participation in the European Championships. Ten days after the facts, Father Thierry spoke of a “0% chance” of his son being there.

But look, just under 5 months later, Witsel is already preparing for his comeback against Denmark. On the training ground in Tubize, his fellow Devils have been keeping the midfielder’s fitness eye wide in recent weeks.

“Axl amazed me with his physical readiness,” Jan Vertonghen shook. “It’s unbelievable how he did that.”

Dennis Bright: “Axl looks very sharp. Punishment after such a serious injury.”

The back story begins in AZ Monica in Deurne. Not the largest hospital in terms of size, but in reputation.

Renowned orthopedic surgeon Gert De Klerk has already treated many outstanding athletes with severe injuries. Witsel is on too To re-chord. “The quality of the tendon was good,” De Klerk said during today’s news conference. That was an important condition.”

After the operation, Witsel should rest for two weeks. The special orthopedic shoe – a brace to speed healing – doesn’t explode for a second.

As soon as possible, Witsel moves to Lieven Maesschalck – the famous physiotherapist where almost all outstanding Belgian athletes are rehabilitating. At the beginning of March, the Red Devil almost pitched his tent at the Move to Cure training.

Witsel rents an apartment nearby and also follows a special nutrition plan to speed up recovery – every little bit helps.

“We looked at it day in and day out,” Mischalek said today of the rehab plan. “It was important not to set goals, because you never know what the outcome will be.”

“Axl was perfect, he is a mentally calm guy. We set short term goals – day after day, week after week, month after month.”

Witsel is working hard to restore strength to the Achilles tendon. He never misses a session at Maesschalck and goes to extremes – no doubt the Red Devil’s sweat is swallowed up on the ground.

Maesschalck: “Witsel has made many sacrifices – that’s also a deciding factor. The secret to good rehab is that there is no secret. You just have to work hard.”

In mid-May the nation’s hopes are growing. Witsel shares a video on social media showing how he resumes training in the standard old love field. First time with the ball.

A few days earlier, national team coach Roberto Martinez, in a conversation with our analyst Emki Courtois, announced that he would definitely include Witsel in the European Championship selection. “There is no other Witsel,” explains the Spaniard. “And with a roster of 26 players, we have the opportunity to take that risk.”

There is no longer any doubt within the medical staff that Witsel will be fit. The accelerator arrives a week before his teammates arrive at the training center in Tubize to enter the final phase of his recovery.

Maesschalck notes how Witsel was also mentally ready for a comeback. “Axl wasn’t afraid of dueling. He didn’t hold back, he turned, he jumped…Fear had no effect on his behavior. (Laughs) We were more afraid of him.”

Witsel will follow the match against Russia with Kevin De Bruyne in Tubiz. But tomorrow he will board the plane to Copenhagen. Ready to complete his return circuit.

“At a certain point you have to leave a player after an injury,” Maischalk said. “That’s it now. You look at the data for this, among other things. What is Axel’s heart rate? And his speed at first? We’ve compared that to the past. And on that basis, he’s fit by race.”

And so Axel Witsel will return to the football field 189 days after the disaster, sooner than expected. Father Thierry laughed at RTBF this week: “As of Thursday, 11 million Belgians will believe in miracles.”

Although his supervisors Declercq and Maesschalck prefer not to use the m-word. “The recovery was quick, but it wasn’t exceptional. We always knew it was possible.”

white as well.