Real Betis Welcome Abde Ezzalzouli Back in Training, Though Match Fitness Remains Uncertain

Abde Ezzalzouli has returned to full training with Real Betis after an MCL sprain suffered on international duty with Morocco kept him sidelined through the World Cup. What began as a three-to-four-week estimate stretched longer, with treatment in France, gym work, and staged individual sessions at Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol preceding his group return. Now training normally, match fitness remains the next hurdle. The details behind his gradual reintegration reveal just how close he is to full contention.

Abde Ezzalzouli stepped back onto the training pitch with his Real Betis teammates in mid-August, closing out a difficult stretch on the sidelines caused by a right knee ligament sprain picked up on international duty with Morocco. The injury, a sprain of the medial collateral ligament, occurred in a pre-World Cup friendly against Norway and forced him to miss the tournament entirely. Doctors initially expected a three-to-four-week absence, but the recovery process stretched longer as Betis and the player prioritized a careful, methodical approach.

A three-to-four-week timeline stretched further as Abde’s MCL sprain, suffered against Norway, kept him sidelined from the World Cup entirely.

That approach included time away from the club, with specialized treatment in France alongside gym work and individual field sessions. Once medical tests cleared him to increase his workload, Abde returned to Betis’s Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol under the direct supervision of the club’s medical and fitness staff. His first involvement with the group was brief, roughly 15 minutes, before he peeled off to continue individual work on the grass. It marked a notable step, but not one that suggested he was ready for full training or match action just yet.

The club has followed a staged plan similar to protocols used previously for other injured players, gradually increasing intensity while watching for any negative reaction from the knee. Reports since then have described continued progress. By August 15 and 16, updates indicated that Abde was training normally with the squad, a sign that he had moved past the partial-participation phase and into full sessions. That progress puts him in contention for selection in upcoming friendly matches, though nothing has been confirmed.

Even with this positive trajectory, Betis coaching staff and medical personnel are treating his situation cautiously. The emphasis remains on ball work, change-of-direction drills, and only introducing contact scenarios once fully cleared. Local coverage continues to describe this as the “final stage” of his recovery rather than a simple return to normal training, underlining that match fitness is a separate benchmark from training participation. Alongside Abde, fellow Moroccan talent Zakaria El Ouahdi has also been drawing attention as part of the same Atlas Lions generation making waves for club and country.

For Betis, Abde’s return offers a boost heading into the new season, but supporters will likely need patience before seeing him competing at full intensity in official matches.