Iker Casillas says his recovery from a broken bone in his hand is certainly going much better than expected and he could be right back between the Real Madrid articles when late March.
Casillas' hand was broken by an accidental kick from his team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa all through Madrid's Copa del Rey quarter-final game at the Mestalla on January 23.
It was feared he'd face 90 days on the sidelines, and the team moved quickly to signal Diego Lopez for 3.5 million from Sevilla to perform in their likely season-defining games against Barcelona in the Copa and Manchester United in the Champions League.
The Madrid club chief told reporters on Thursday night, at the opening of a new club shop at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, that the first timeframe had only been a worst-case scenario.
"I am feeling very positive," Casillas said. "The doctor gave me the worst-case scenario, he said it might take 3 months. But when the splint was removed the other day, I was told I had four weeks left. Now I am doing effective exercises to get mobility and power back in the finger."
Casillas said he'd been spending so much time at Madrid's Valdebebas education service to have straight back playing when possible.
"Until now I've not had much power in it, but I'm getting it back little by little," he explained. "We have reached the halfway point of the damage. I have still got monthly to go. I'll need certainly to work more and suffer more to get right back the flexibility of before. I'm looking towards returning. It is worse being off the pitch than on it."
The big event was also attended by Casillas' team-mates including Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema, Angel Di Maria, Jose Callejon, Nacho and Kaka, though coach Jose Mourinho was missing.
Alonso told reporters that he did not know yet whether he would recover from his crotch issue with time for next Tuesday's Copa semi-final second leg at Barcelona's Camp Nou.
"I am in the healing stage," the midfielder said. "I am looking to get better when possible, to get rid of the distress and get back in top form. A lot of people ask when I'll prepare yourself. I hope to be able to perform against Barca, but I do not have a solution right now."
Former Liverpool person Alonso said that, with the link balanced at 1-1, whoever obtained first in the Champions League last 16 reunite game at Manchester United on March 5 will be favourites to advance.
"They could have the support of these fans," he said. "It will be a challenge. The side that results first will be favourites. Old Trafford is a superb surface and it is the kind of match most of us prefer to play. The link is quite open."
Di Maria stated that it could fit Madrid to be playing abroad in both of the forthcoming, possibly season-defining, activities.
"Things are getting well and develop to continue this way," he explained. "We know that we have to have big matches in both tournaments and that it will perhaps not be easy. Since we do well when things are against us perhaps playing away will be in our favor. We have had this week to focus on the easiest way to approach the games. I am hoping everything goes well."
Benzema, who remains question for Saturday evening's La Liga sport at Deportivo La Coruna, said he wasn't focused on his recent bad form in front of goal.
"I trust that I score more goals than I have up to now, but the important things may be the team and to win the forthcoming matches," he said. "We have to work together to get. We have a fantastic team and we are all in good form."
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