After a halftone season at Olympique de Marseille, where he has never really found his place under the orders of Igor Tudor, Ruslan Malinovskyi chose to bounce back in Serie A. During the summer transfer window, the Ukrainian international was loaned with option to buy in Genoa, a club which offered him the opportunity to find playing time and a key role in the midfield. From his first games in the Rossoblù jersey, he was able to meet expectations, bringing his striking quality and his vision of the game to help his team start the season well. Arrived in Serie A with the ambition to relaunch his career, the Ukrainian international quickly found his place in the Ligurian club, being decisive from his first appearances. But while his integration seemed promising, a terrible blow of fate came to brake his momentum. But while his adaptation seemed ideal, fate decided otherwise. On September 21, 2024, the Ukrainian international suffered a terrible injury in Venice. At the start of the second period, trying to release a ball in its penalty area, its right ankle was twisted abnormal, causing a dislocation of the articulation and a fracture of the perony. The player's cries of pain had immediately alerted his teammates and the medical staff, leading to his evacuation on a stretcher and his transport to the hospital.
The next day, on September 22, Malinovskyi was successfully operated by Professor Federico Santolini and his team. The Genoa had communicated that the player was doing well and that he would start his rehabilitation in club facilities in the following days. The predecessor of Patrick Vieira on the bench, Alberto Gilardino had notably said: “We all sympathize with Ruslan with what happened to him. I have been in contact with him these days, and it is already impatient to return to the team. He is an incredible person and a real professional. We are waiting for him. I’ve talked to the guys in recent days, especially during the match analysis, about what I mentioned at the end of the match: whatever Ruslan's injury or the thoughts on the match of tomorrow, it is unthinkable to drop your head like that. This should not take away our energy or prevent us from thinking and playing as a team. I think we learned our lesson». This injury held the Ukrainian international far from the field for several months. He returned to competition on March 7, 2025, during the match between the Genoa and Cagliari, marking the end of his convalescence.
A dream comeback for the former Marseillais
When the official compositions of Genoa-Lecce were unveiled on Friday, all observers were quick to notice the great novelty that looks like a formidable news. Indeed, after several weeks to grab minute by minute, Ruslan Malinovskyi signed a thunderous return to the starting eleven of the Rossoblu, something that had not happened since September of last year, moment of his terrible injury: “In the past two weeks, he has physically progressed. He came into play in the last 15-20 minutes for Cagliari and is ready to play from the start. It is important because it can bring quality in the last 20-30 meters, but in the midfield, we have quality players and it is important for me to find the balance“Said Vieira on the eve of the match against Lecce on Thursday. In the 16th minute, Malinovskyi provided a magnificent assist with a soft ball in the surface which was transformed in the nets by Fabio Miretti for the first goal. He then reiterated the feat with a double of his Italian teammate: a dream return which also carries the seal of Patrick Vieira, who continues to transform the Genoese club.
Under the direction of Alberto Gilardino, Ruslan Malinovskyi has often played as a central midfielder. A tailor-made role in exploiting its distant strike qualities of the left foot. Friday evening, it was deployed by Patrick Vieira to a more advanced position given the absence of offensive players and was therefore part of the offensive trio in support of Andrea Pinamonti. Before kick -off against the Salentini, the sports director of Genoa, Marco Ottolini, “said:”Knowing Ruslan, I expected it to be there. I was there when he was injured and we understood that it would be difficult. He worked so hard, he deserves to be present tonight. Does he have 90 minutes of play in the legs? No, of course not». The return of Ruslan Malinovskyi during the match between Genoa and Cagliari doubled by his tenure against Lecce on Friday marks a key stage in his rehabilitation and gives hope to supporters of the Ligurian club. More than a simple return, it is a message of resilience and passion that Malinovskyi sends to the world of football.
