According to Sport, Espanyol captain Javi Puado is nearing his return to action. The forward suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his right knee in January and has not played in any official matches since. However, as his recovery progresses, he is expected to rejoin the team's matchday squad in the coming weeks.

During the international break, Espanyol continued their preparations with a closed-door friendly against Ipswich on Friday. They aimed to maintain match rhythm and fine-tune tactics ahead of upcoming fixtures. The team will face Málaga away next Friday.

Espanyol had previously suffered consecutive defeats, including a home loss to Elche, and the team is eager to turn their fortunes around. In this context, Puado's impending return is undoubtedly positive news for the squad.

Since early September, Puado has gradually participated in team training, regaining his match fitness and adapting to the full intensity of team practice. His recovery is ongoing, and he is getting closer to full availability.

It was previously speculated that Puado might feature in Friday's friendly against Ipswich, but he ultimately did not play. It remains uncertain whether he will be included in the squad for next Friday's match against Málaga, or if he will need more time.

Rather than setting a specific return date, Espanyol's priority is for Puado to fully recover and reach match-ready condition. Given his current rehabilitation progress, head coach Manolo González expects to have this important attacking player back in the squad in the coming weeks.

Puado has previously demonstrated his importance in LaLiga. After suffering a serious injury in January, he was unable to help the team on the pitch but continued to provide leadership from the sidelines as captain. Now, as his recovery enters its final stages, Espanyol are getting closer to welcoming back their captain.

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