Franca and Doucouré

[TheBigToePunt]

Doucoure ruptured his achilles tendon in November 2023 and has never retained full fitness since, having knee surgery in January 2025. He has played a total of about 620 minutes since November 2023.
Is he fit enough now to the physicality of the Premier League, time will tell. He has been missed, he was a key player before his injury problems.

And is he going to remain injury-free?

Even if his achilleas and knee are 100% now (and they may well be) how will the rest of his body cope with getting back into the action after so long? Often, players pick up more and more other, unrelated problems in such circumstances.

He may be one of those who would technically pass a medical in terms of the two big injuries, and I do not doubt he has kept himself as fit as possible over the last couple of years, but in truth only time and games will tell if he can get back to where he was.

Fingers crossed.

 

[JessieJ]

Re Doucoure, without spending half my day researching I am convinced that there must be lots of players that have come back after these injuries and so as many have sadi, it is surely about if he can regain the sharpness, and willingness, to compete. Obviosly I have no idea what system Mr Sage is going to use (hopefully flexible depending upon match situation) but working on the principle of "class is foreever", then he has to have a role. As for Franca, yes he seems to have filled out and have more confidence but he perfoamces back in Brazil were terrible, apparantly. His finishing in the friendlies has been about on par with the general standard over the past 2 seasons i.e erratic at best. Other Brazilian forwards in the EPL have blown hot & cold, example the Bournemouth player who's name i have forgotten, Silvinho etc. so who knows if he'll be ok. I can't see the point of a loan though, for what? Given the lack of even the most unlikely rumour on the attacking front, the impleid approach seems to be that Sage will be adding the two to the squad.