Gustavo Sa and Leon Bailey are on individual programs ahead of Olympiacos' derby against Panathinaikos. Sa is recovering from a calf injury, while Bailey is working on his physical condition.
Rest for the players. An opportunity for Imanol Alguacil and his staff to breathe. And to look for a permanent home. Since Friday, Olympiacos has been unloading. Imanol Alguacil's three-day break has begun. But it is not the same for everyone. Gustavo Sá and Leon Bailey, for example, are different from the rest.
According to Sport24, Olympiacos' coaching and medical staff have drawn up a specific program for both. For different reasons, but with the same denominator. To have both ready to come in and play on their return to action, starting with the derby against Panathinaikos.
Gustavo Sá and Leon Bailey are doing their programs. They are very different. But at the same time, they are similar. Both have been on the field for a few days and are doing individual training. The Portuguese is coming off a difficult calf injury, so he is training more conservatively and at lower speeds. His reintegration requires caution and patience.
Bailey is a completely different case. He stayed in Athens and did not go with the Jamaican national team for no reason other than needing to improve his physical and competitive condition. But rather because he needed to improve his physical and competitive condition. And for this reason, he is going through difficult times at Renti. The Red and Whites have prepared a very strong, demanding, and long schedule for him, which includes everything.
Olympiacos's Gustavo Sa, Leon Bailey Race to Be Fit for Panathinaikos Derby
Under normal circumstances, Bailey could train with the rest of his teammates. But the program he is doing is much heavier and more difficult. During this time, the goal is to avoid duels and focus on improving his physical condition. He aims to make up for the time lost in the summer due to his time at Aston Villa.
Bailey's return process is demanding. Olympiacos is well aware of the 29-year-old winger's "reputation" and has studied what happened last year, when he had the most injuries of his career. Muscular in their entirety. Mainly the result of hasty returns in several cases, but also mistakes in rehabilitation.
Bailey showed fatigue (tightness) in his biceps before the game against Levadiakos, so he was kept in Athens to be careful and avoid a recurrence of the injury that troubled him last year. Now, his program is so strong that many believe that, with the resumption of official obligations, he will be a different player.
It's worth explaining why the three-day rest period Alguacil gave doesn't apply to everyone. Gustavo Sá and Leon Bailey are not included in this. The Basque coach, in consultation with the doctors and trainers, gave his players three days of leave, but on Monday morning both the Portuguese and the Jamaican must be at Renti's facilities as usual to continue their programs. Why? Because the important thing for both of them is to be not just available, but 100% ready for the derby with Panathinaikos.
