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So much for Michu's rebirth. This has been another lost season for the Spanish attacker, a second straight campaign marred by injuries and poor form. It had been hoped that a loan to Napoli could help Michu return to form and become a force in football again, but the Swansea City man has been anything but in form this season.
Even before his ankle injury that ultimately required surgery, Michu's playing time was severely limited, mostly because he wasn't very good when he did play. He had shown some promise in preseason, but once the real matches started that promise turned in to endless turnovers and a fear of shooting so bad he actually ran away from the ball in the box on more than one occasion.
Now Michu is nearly three months in to what was supposed to be a six-to-eight week recovery process from his ankle injury, and has apparently returned to Spain to work with a "trusted physiotherapist" to finish his recovery process. He's supposedly close to a return, but no timeline has been indicated recently. Even when he does return, it's unlikely that Michu plays a major role for Napoli the rest of the season, especially after being removed from the Europa League roster.
It's a shame that things worked out so poorly for Michu in Naples, because on paper he had the skillset and ability to be an excellent fit in the squad put together by Rafa Benitez and Riccardo Bigon. It would have been good for everyone involved if it had worked out, but, well, that's football. It's a cruel game sometimes.