Insigne may be back sooner than expected

When it was announced that Lorenzo Inisgne tore his ACL, most assumed that he would be done for the season. Even with improved surgical methods, it's usually a six month recovery timeline, period. Apparently, we might all be wrong, and this time in a good way.

"The recovery time is four to six months." That was Dr. Alfonso De Nicola, the chief of Napoli's medical staff, talking to Il Mattino this morning. Apparently thanks to the method used and the relatively easy nature of Insigne's surgery, the possibility for a shorter than normal recovery period exists.

As Dr. De Nicola noted, though, "the important thing is for Lorenzo to come back at 100 per cent, even stronger than before." That means that, despite the optimistic nature of this timeline, Insigne's not going to be rushed back to the pitch before he's ready. An ACL tear is a major injury to try to come back from, and there's healing to do beyond simply fixing the ligaments in his knee.

Rushing a player back from an injury like that is a good way to risk further injury, and no one wants Insigne to end up like poor Giuseppe Rossi. The best thing for both Napoli and Insigne is to get him back to as good of health as possible before returning to the pitch. While this prognosis indicates he could come back as soon as March, don't be surprised if we still don't see him until the very end of the season, if not next season.