Toulouse: Zakaria Aboukhlal's road to recovery

Despite suffering a defeat against Lyon (2-3) on March 15th, Toulouse had a reason to celebrate post-match: Zakaria Aboukhlal’s return to competitive football, just six months after rupturing his right knee ligaments. Stepping onto the pitch amidst cheers from the Stadium crowd, the 24-year-old winger showed no signs of apprehension.

Toulouse had initially announced Aboukhlal would “likely be unavailable until the end of the season” on September 28th, a week after his injury in the Europa League match against Union Saint-Gilloise (1-1). However, his rapid recovery defied expectations, leaving many questioning how it was possible. Coach Carles Martinez Novell shed light on the situation, stating, “I understand it may be hard to comprehend because he returned very quickly, but ‘Zaka’ worked immensely for months and showed the entire staff that he was fit in recent weeks.”

Aboukhlal entrusted with Erling Haaland’s ‘miracle man’

Aboukhlal’s recovery was facilitated by a well-designed protocol and the expertise of specialists. Just two days after his operation in London with Dr. Williams, a knee specialist, he was already ahead of the rehabilitation schedule set by Toulouse, standing and climbing stairs. He spent significant time at Morocco’s Mohammed VI complex, working with Dr. Baudot (formerly with PSG) and a dedicated physical trainer from the national team. Another pivotal figure in his recovery was John Haddad, a biomechanics specialist dubbed “the miracle man.”

Haddad, known for aiding Erling Haaland’s recovery from a hip injury in 2021, had previously worked with Aboukhlal, swiftly getting him back on his feet before the Qatar World Cup following a hamstring injury. Aboukhlal diligently followed Haddad’s instructions, initially via video calls, then spending ten days in Dubai in January, followed by two weeks in Lebanon in February before returning to Toulouse for collective training in less than a month.