Luis Muriel Progressing in Recovery as Junior Hopes for Quick Return

The 4-1 win over Fortaleza breathed new life into Junior, but on Monday the news that got the most attention in Barranquilla wasn't the scoreline: it was the medical report. There, the name everyone had been waiting for showed up, Luis Muriel, along with three other players still working their way back to fitness ahead of the matchup against Independiente Medellín.

El Tiburón is going through a particular moment. With Sebastián Viera leading this new chapter, the team needed a win that clear cut to pull away from the bottom of the standings, and it got exactly that with a resounding 4-1 over Fortaleza. Now, with no room to relax, attention has already shifted to the next test: hosting Independiente Medellín, a rival that won't make things easy.

That's why the club decided to update the status of its injured players right before that match. The first piece of good news came with Muriel, who according to the club's report is showing "favorable progress" and is already doing fieldwork, with a "good response" to the recovery plan designed for him. There's still no return date, but the progress is starting to excite the fan base.

The Other Three Names on the Medical Report

Muriel isn't the only one on the list. Kevin Pérez and Fabián Correa also moved forward: both advanced to fieldwork as part of what the club described as their "sports readaptation process," an important step toward joining the rest of the squad in training.

The situation is different for Canchimbo, who is in "phase 4" of his recovery. He's set to undergo an evaluation later this week, and the result will determine whether he can finally join fieldwork or whether the process needs a bit more time.

With these four players still working their way back, Viera will have to keep figuring out his lineup without them for the match against Medellín, set for Saturday, September 26 at 8:20 p.m. (Colombia time). It's a home match that, after the statement win over Fortaleza, Junior wants to use to keep climbing the table while gradually welcoming its injured players back.