Midfielder of „Genoa“ and the Ukrainian national team Ruslan Malinovskyi talked about the process of his return to the football field.
Ruslan Malinovskyi (photo: gettyimages.com)— Ruslan, a few days ago you showed on your Instagram how you trained with the team in the general group. How is your rehabilitation going and when can we expect you on the field?
— Yes, I returned to the general group about a week ago and started working with the team. But the coaching staff and medical personnel are gradually allowing me to join the group work. At first, it was a warm-up and some exercises at the beginning of training. Then I started doing ball handling exercises and some game-related drills.
By the end of the week, I began participating in full training sessions with the team. We make predictions from week to week. And likewise, we are gradually increasing the load. Of course, I need to work on my physical condition. I work a lot individually after training, focusing on strength and endurance.
So, it is very difficult to answer the question about my return to the field. It could be one week, two weeks, or a month. Therefore, I hope that starting next week I will start working with the team at 100%. And then it will depend on the coaching staff’s decision. And, of course, how I feel.
No one is pushing me to rush it. After such an injury, there can be some discomfort, but we conduct all necessary tests. And where there is a slight deficiency, we actively work on it to align everything and avoid a significant imbalance between my left and right legs. We are very close now and making progress in this direction.
— You mentioned in an interview with Italian media that you don’t enjoy watching games from the stands. How physically and psychologically challenging is it to recover after such an injury?
— When I was at „Genk“, I was sidelined for eight months due to injury. There, after a month, I started attending matches to support the team from the stands. But after this injury, I couldn’t go to the stadium for the first two months. So I was at home games only for two months.
It’s very hard to watch from the stands when you understand that you should be out there on the field. But it gives me strength to come back as soon as possible, to work harder, and to think positively. This mental aspect greatly helps in recovery after such an injury.
— Your teammate Pinamonti made a touching gesture by showing a shirt with your name after scoring his goal. Can you tell how the team and your surroundings supported you after the injury and on your path to recovery?
— My wife and family supported me from the very beginning and told me that everything would be okay. My agent, Vadym Shablii, with whom we have been working for a long time, also supported me in every way and encouraged me.
When Andre scored that goal and raised my shirt, it was very nice. Especially in a derby. It also shows that we have a very cool and friendly team. This gesture was very pleasant for me. It showed that the guys care about me.
— During your recovery, the coach changed in the team. You said a warm farewell to Alberto Gilardino. How was it working with him?
— First of all, he is a very cool, smart, and cultured person. I would say he is truly a person of great character. You could always come to him and talk on any topic.
As a coach, he also shared a lot of knowledge. Perhaps not everything worked out for us at all times, and as a team, we couldn’t achieve more for him, but he was a significant example to us. There was great respect from the entire team towards him. Therefore, I still keep in touch with him now. You could say that we have a very warm relationship.
— Have you formed an opinion about Patrick Vieira yet?
— Well, of course. He has already communicated with me many times and said that I shouldn’t rush my recovery, but work calmly. He talked about how every week I should feel how I am doing. If I feel good, I should continue. He said he is counting on me and looking forward to my return.
Of course, the game has changed a bit with the new coach. I wasn’t very present at the beginning during video sessions. But now I attend every theory session and am starting to understand what Vieira wants from the team and from me in various positions.
I've started to communicate more with him during training processes. Before, I was in the gym or working on another field, so I didn’t hear everything. Now I'm spending more time with the team on the field, so I am listening more. Vieira has some very interesting tactical ideas. So we’ll see how I can implement them on the field when I return.
— „Genoa“ managed to rise to 12th place after the coaching change. How do you assess the team’s performance in the first half of the season?
— Very well, because we had many injured players. I want to say that now there are only one or two players left in the infirmary who are recovering. I am among them.
It is very important to have competition on the field, as there were many injured players before. Those who played were getting less playing time, and there were many young players.
Now the competition for a place in the starting lineup will increase. And the coach will have a much larger selection, so I need to work hard to prove that I can also play in the starting lineup of this team. Of course, it’s very important that many players have recovered from injuries.
Irina Kozyupa
