‘It’s an amazing feeling’ – Mohammed Salisu on return from injury

Ghanaian international defender Mohammed Salisu was all smiles this week following his highly anticipated return to light training at his club side, AS Monaco.

The rugged centre-back expressed his immense delight after finally returning to the pitch to step up his recovery process following a gruelling and lengthy injury lay-off.

The former Southampton stalwart was captured in a social media video engaged in light ball-work alongside technical staff at the French club’s training base. Salisu, who previously honed his craft with Real Valladolid in the Spanish La Liga, appeared visibly overwhelmed with joy throughout the duration of the specialised session.

Le football leur avait manqué ❤️

💪 Après plusieurs mois de rééducation, 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐢’ et 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐢’ retrouvent enfin le ballon ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/y1V6TEF2eS

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) May 7, 2026

MOHAMMED SALISU RECOVERS FROM ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT TEAR

Reflecting on the milestone, the Black Stars defender could not hide his excitement about being back on the grass. “I mean, it’s an amazing feeling on the first day [back], you know,” Salisu remarked shortly after the session concluded. “And I’m looking forward to more,” he added, signalling his determination to put his injury woes behind him.

The 27-year-old has been forced to sit out of competitive action since January after suffering a devastating tear to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during a high-stakes Ligue 1 fixture against Olympique Lyonnais. Despite this positive step forward in his rehabilitation, Monaco’s expert medical team is expected to continue monitoring his recovery process with extreme caution before gradually integrating him into full-scale first-team training.

WORLD CUP AND SEASON OUTLOOK

Unfortunately for the Ghanaian faithful, it remains highly unlikely that the defender will be able to recover sufficient match fitness in time to feature for the Black Stars at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ghana has been paired against Panama, Croatia, and England in a challenging Group L, and Salisu’s absence will be a major blow to their defensive stability.

Prior to his unfortunate injury, Salisu was a cornerstone of Monaco’s defensive unit, making 12 league appearances and contributing a goal. In total, he had racked up 18 appearances across Ligue 1, the UEFA Champions League, and the Coupe de France, with one goal under his belt for the campaign.

The former Premier League star, who has earned 22 international caps and scored four goals for his country, is now expected to target a full return to competitive league action at the start of the 2026/27 season.