OPINION
When Newcastle United defender Florian Lejeune succumbed to a serious injury in pre-season, boss Rafa Benitez would have undoubtedly been sweating.
However, that sweating may now be over after the £38,000-a-week [Spotrac] star delivered an injury update on his personal Instagram account, the videos relayed by the Chronicle.
The Frenchman has been posting regular updates about his recovery from an cruciate ligament injury, and he has now been shooting on goal and dribbling with the ball in order to build up the strength in his knee.
This latest update will surely delight many United fans – even though he is set to miss most of the Premier League with his injury, the fact that he is making such steady progress is most definitely a step in the right direction.
Lejeune earned himself an army of fans with his performances last season, and even though he only made 24 appearances in the 2017/18 campaign, he quickly cemented his place in Benitez’s first XI.
His ability to pass the ball with confidence was quickly picked up upon, and it is only right that his presence on the pitch has been sorely missed so far this season.
Summer signing Federico Fernandez has stepped up admirably in the place of Lejeune and there is no doubting his ability, but the fact that Lejeune is making good progress will delight United supporters everywhere.
While Fernandez is a great addition to the first team, and Fabian Schar is also left waiting in the wings, they will not make the same impact on fans like the 27-year-old ace did last term.
When the centre-back finally does return from his injury, Newcastle fans will revel in the fact that Benitez has the choice of two top quality players in the same position.
Nevertheless, they will be elated that Lejeune is one step closer to a return to action, as it will only increase the depth that they need to be a success this year.
