Will Maxi Moralez return sooner rather than later?

When Maxi Moralez returned to New York City FC over the summer, fans were overjoyed. The 2023 season was not going well, so he was a bright light during a poor year. He fit back in immediately, and it was like he never left.

However, his great return did not last long. In September, he unfortunately suffered an ACL injury during the game against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. That was only his fourth match back with NYCFC. As a result, he missed the remainder of the season.

Will Maxi Moralez return to the pitch before the summer?

The timetable for Moralez and his recovery was unknown when the announcement of his injury was made, and it continues to be a question in 2024. Yet, the recovery time can depend on the severity of the injury. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average recovery time is about six to nine months. With athletes, the time out can be longer since they need to rebuild their strength and ability to play.

Therefore, the thought is that Moralez will not be back until the summer at the earliest. One needs to take his age into account as well, for he is 36. At the same time, there is the question of whether he will be ready to go sooner rather than later. Two months after his surgery, the midfielder was back in the gym working out and rehabbing.

In addition, he has already joined NYCFC for preseason. He was not there at the beginning, but the fact he is with the club is remarkable. He is training, although it appears to be on the side. It would not make sense if he was ready to go five months after his ACL rupture. But again, he is on the pitch training.

That is why one cannot help but wonder whether Moralez will return sooner than expected. It must be noted the writer of this piece is not a doctor or nurse and has not worked in medicine. The speculation is purely based on the fact the player is training. Of course, he continues to recover from the injury. It just appears he is on track to be back in a speedy fashion.

Alas, his return timetable will be a question until NYCFC says anything concrete. If Moralez plays his first match anytime before July, then that will be an incredible achievement.