Image via @kubamoder on Instagram
It was pleasing to see Jakub Moder post the above picture on Instagram yesterday to confirm he returned to training with Brighton and Hove Albion after having spent the past eight months out with a serious injury to his ACL.
I’ve written previously about Moder and how he is already one of Poland’s most important players despite being just 23, and it was clear for all to see at the World Cup how lacklustre the Polish midfield was without him.
Moder was one of several Brighton players who were really impressive last season up until his injury at the start of April, and hopefully he will be able to continue this form as he comes back into a squad that has been performing far above expectations already this season, first under Graham Potter and continuing to do so under Roberto De Zerbi.
It was confirmed a few weeks ago by Moder’s former Lech Poznań teammate Tymoteusz Puchacz that he had kicked a ball for the first time since his injury, and it looks like he has now returned properly to individual training ahead of the second half of the season.
Reports are varied on the timeframe of his recovery, but it is expected that Moder will start to be included in Brighton’s match day squads towards the end of January or the beginning of February. This is good news for Brighton as the current season is one of high demands on player fitness given the World Cup break, and Moder’s return to fitness is sure to feel like a new signing.
This alleged January/February return date is good news too for Poland, as their qualifying for Euro 2024 gets underway at the end of March, at which time Moder will likely have accrued two months of regular football again. Given it is highly unlikely that Czesław Michniewicz will continue in his role as Selekcjoner, it will be up to whoever replaces him to decide what role if any Moder will play in these matches. It may well be the case that it is too soon for him after such a serious injury, but it’s more likely he will be included in the squad for these qualifiers than not.
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