This week, Nabil Fekir celebrated a funny birthday. The Betis player did not blow out his candles since he celebrated his 30th birthday on July 18. On the other hand, on Wednesday, it was five years to the day since he scored his superb goal against Manchester City in the Champions League (September 19, 2018, 2-1 victory). After this magnificent evening, the former OL captain launched the famous “I get the ball” on English television. Five years later, the native of Lyon continues his career with Real Betis Balompié.
A long injury
If some believe that he had the level to aim for a club of a higher caliber, the 2018 world champion has always assumed his choice. He never even regretted it. Both sportingly, since he enjoys playing under the orders of Manuel Pellegrini, and humanly, since he feels good in Seville. It’s the same for his family and loved ones. An essential player for the Andalusian team, Fekir was stopped in full swing last February. Author of 6 goals and 3 assists, he suffered a knee injury during the match against Elche.
Betis announced his long-term absence in a press release. “Nabil Fekir suffered a hyperextension of his left knee against Elche CF last Friday. The tests to which he was subjected by the medical services of Real Betis Balompié confirmed that he suffered from an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of said knee. The player will have to undergo surgery in the coming days to resolve this injury, the prognosis of which suggests that he will miss the rest of the season. A hard blow for Nabil Fekir. But the player born in 93 has seen others during his career.
Fekir hopes to return in October
When he was younger, he already had a serious injury to his right knee in 2015 during the Portugal-France match. The French international (25 caps, 2 goals) had worked hard to return to his best level. A few years later, the Frenchman had to go through a long process between the operation, rehabilitation and recovery little by little. According to our information, Nabil Fekir has resumed with the Sevillian group. He touches the ball and participates in training. But he does not take part in contact games or oppositions.
Some close sources also told us that it could resume at the beginning of October. Others, close to the Spanish team, are much more cautious and have explained to us that his return is a priori planned for the end of October. Tenth in La Liga, Betis will not take any risks with their player, who is valuable for the rest of the season. A season during which the player trained at OL will certainly have Euro 2024 in his sights with the France team. But he will start from a little further than others, he who has been at a standstill in recent months.
Betis are looking forward to it
The player is in any case very motivated by the idea of returning to service, we were told. He can’t wait to get back to the group and the field, his last official match dating back to February 24. Seven months without football, it’s true that it’s starting to feel long…especially when you’re a football enthusiast like him. In Spain, we are also awaiting his return with a certain impatience. Journalist for FilesIvan Vargas explained to us: “Betis fans miss Fekir because he is one of the players with the greatest knockout ability in the team.”
He pursues : “Fekir has been a very important player for Real Betis in recent seasons. However, Manuel Pellegrini has several offensive players and many options. He then clarified that the departures of Sergio Canales and Luiz Felipe also hurt the Andalusians. The next return of Nabil Fekir will therefore be very good news for the club coached by Manuel Pellegrini. Recently, the Iberian press explained that he hoped to play the derby against Sevilla on November 12. Betis is hoping for “recovery” for this crucial meeting.
