The medical report released by Atlético on 9th November in response to Juanfran's injury against Sporting Gijón the previous day said that his return date would depend on the evaluation of his progress. Given that we are talking about Juanfran, it is no surprise that they did not set a time frame. The defender is working his socks off to get fit as soon as possible.

The recovery period for the Grade II muscle injury which he suffered in his left thigh is generally around three weeks. After working in the gym for a week, we have seen the first indications that Juanfran is making good progress, with the right-back now back doing ball work.

The date Juanfran has circled on his calendar is Wednesday of next week, when Atlético host Galatasaray in their penultimate Champions League group-stage game. Although only two weeks will have passed since he suffered his injury, the full-back is determined to be match-fit for the encounter. Given the inroads he is making, it looks like he may just manage it.

In fact, both Juanfran and the club's medical services are delighted with the way his recovery is going, meaning that it is highly likely that he will be back in action before he was initially expected to be.