Take Kubo back in training, dreams of facing Athletic

The return of Takefusa Kubo to the green of Zubieta has brought back the smile to the txuri-urdin fans who were counting the days to see one of their stars again. After more than a month on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury in his left leg suffered against Barcelona, the Japanese international has taken the most anticipated step: getting back to ball work.

Although he is still training individually and under the watchful eye of the recovery team, just seeing the "14" dribbling and striking the ball is a breath of fresh air for Pellegrino Matarazzo's plans.

Kubo's recovery has not been an easy path, including a brief period in Japan to coordinate his treatment with the national team's doctors. However, his progress in this last week of February has been remarkable, moving from the gym to continuous running and finally reuniting with the ball. This progress marks the beginning of the final phase of his rehabilitation, where the main goal is to regain the competitive tone and explosiveness that make him the most decisive player in Real Sociedad's attack.

The schedule has arranged for this return to coincide with the most important event of the season: the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Athletic Club. After the valuable 0-1 victory at San Mamés, Real Sociedad has a golden opportunity to secure their place in the final at La Cartuja next Wednesday, March 4th, at the Reale Arena. Kubo has set this Basque derby as his great personal goal.

The coaching staff maintains a stance of "cautious optimism." Matarazzo, who recently described Take as a "soldier," knows that forcing an early return could lead to a fatal relapse in the decisive stretch of the season. Therefore, the upcoming group training sessions will be crucial; if the Japanese player manages to integrate into the group without discomfort in the coming days, his chances of being included in the squad for the cup derby will go from being a distant dream to a tangible reality.

The countdown has begun in San Sebastián. The atmosphere around Anoeta is one of great anticipation, as recovering Kubo's magic and flair for a Copa semi-final is the best possible reinforcement. While the Japanese player continues to progress on the Zubieta pitch, the rest of the team prepares to defend the first-leg advantage, hoping that their key player can at least don the jersey and help secure the ticket to a new historic final.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.