If Diego Carlos cruises through this month unscathed, there’s a realistic chance of him returning for Aston Villa’s busy run of fixtures in April.
The big Brazilian is in good spirits and taking the final steps on a long road back from injury. When he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the closing stages of the 2-1 win over Everton in August, the race was on to return before his 30th birthday on March 15.
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Now, though, it’s not about the date or how quickly Villa can get Diego Carlos back into the Premier League matchday squad. It’s about nurturing him through this most vulnerable stage of the process and building his confidence so that when he does return, there is no doubt in his mind that he’s ready to go full throttle.
Diego Carlos has been training alongside but not with his team-mates for a week now. Full-contact training is the next stage and at least two weeks of that is needed before he features in an under-age or friendly game, most likely to take place during the international period later this month.
If all goes to plan — and with such a serious injury it is a big if — the fixtures against Chelsea (a), Leicester (a) and Nottingham Forest (h) in the first week of April could become the focus.
Villa also have games against Newcastle (h), Brentford (a), Fulham (h) and Manchester United (a) in April, so there are ample opportunities to follow. A return before the end of the season will help build some momentum before 2023-24, but these are delicate, testing times in his recovery and it’s essential the correct steps are taken to avoid further setbacks.
Achilles injuries of this severity were once seen as career-threatening for professional sportspeople, but enhanced surgical procedures and new rehabilitation programmes now assist recovery.
Still, it was a cruel injury for Diego Carlos and Villa given the way the club had worked so strategically and patiently to get the £26million ($31m) deal done in time to announce an agreement just five days after the 2021-22 season finished. He was a big signing, tasked with making a big difference.
Leaving Sevilla was not easy for Diego Carlos, who cried at a press conference when saying farewell to his former club. The connections he had built in Spain were strong after playing a leading role in the 2020 Europa League win.
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But Villa researched the defender’s qualities for months and decided that with his physicality, speed and aerial presence, he would be the perfect addition.
That he had played on the left and right side of central defence appealed. It meant that he could challenge Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa for a starting place and help push for European competition.
Sporting director Johan Lange and his team of scouts spent significant time in Spain as they watched Sevilla, who had an impressive clean sheet record when Carlos played.
His experience and leadership qualities also appealed to the manager at the time, Steven Gerrard, who agreed he was the outstanding option ahead of others on the list.
When Villa moved swiftly and decisively to execute the deal, Diego Carlos was impressed by the plans for the future and the ambitions of owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
Having a full pre-season helped. Diego Carlos was learning English, settling into the area, and had quickly become a part of the leadership group before sustaining the injury two weeks into the season and on a day he describes as the “hardest in my career”.
Like with so many Achilles injuries, the incident that caused the rupture didn’t look traumatic. In Diego Carlos’ case, he jumped for a ball, something he’s done thousands of times, alongside Salomon Rondon. Then he felt the discomfort. What has followed since has been a gruelling slog.
Tyrone Mings checks Carlos after he went down injured against Everton in August (Photo: Marc Atkins via Getty Images)Diego Carlos sustained the injury in the summer, when the sun was setting in England at 8pm. He turned up to Bodymoor Heath day in day out, as the temperatures dropped, as Gerrard — who played a part in his arrival — lost his job, as Unai Emery put his new side through their paces, as his World Cup dreams disappeared. Making the Brazil squad had been one of the reasons he moved to the Premier League.
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As he slowly regained his balance, he started exercising in the water, then on the gravity treadmills, and he was included on the trip to Dubai for Villa’s mid-season break before spending additional time in the Middle East on holiday.
Emery offered supportive words along the way, reassuring him the future was still bright. Now here we are, the spring in sight, and for Diego Carlos, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel.
With his strong belief in God and his positive mentality, the defender, a member of Brazil’s 2020 Olympic gold-winning team, has put in the hard yards and earned praise for an “outstanding attitude” from those close by.
Villa’s player care team have assisted during difficult times, because even the toughest of men have bad days during a recovery like this, where the milestones are moments like completing a toe-raise.
Typically, the calf muscle on the injured leg requires months, if not years, of work to regain full strength. Often the size of the injured leg remains smaller, too, because of muscular atrophy.
The good news, according to a British Journal of Sports Medicine study that studied Achilles tendon recovery in professional footballers over a 10-year period up to 2018, is that 96 per cent of male footballers return to play after a rupture or repair and 82 per cent compete at a similar pre-injury level two years later.
The risk of a re-rupture is also low (eight per cent, according to the study), but rushing back too soon is recognised as an aggravator, and that’s why Diego Carlos, especially as he turns 30 in a couple of weeks, needs to be eased back in.
To keep spirits high, Diego Carlos has shared part of his journey along the way on social media: from barely being able to keep his balance during light workouts to kicking the ball again and running.
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His character is strong. “To overcome is a must,” he says. “Moving on is essential. Work hard.”
If he’s looking for a source of inspiration in these final weeks then look no further than the superstar basketball player Kevin Durant. The former NBA MVP and 13-time All-Star suffered the same injury at the age of 30 back in 2019 when playing for the Golden State Warriors. He said: “Rehab, it’s an internal battle of who you are as an individual… because your whole life is affected by Achilles rehab and Achilles surgery.”
Durant returned to a high level and Diego Carlos, all being well, should be on the same track. Villa will then finally have their strapping centre-half to help see out the season and push towards a first top-half finish in over a decade.
(Top photo: Diego Carlos training last August, before his injury; by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
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