Real Madid captain returns to training after injury

Raul Gonzalez, captain of Real Madrid soccer club, trained with the rest of the team for a few minutes on Friday, for the first time since his November knee injury, the team said in a statement published on its website.

Gonzalez received a round of applause from his collegues, celebrating his rapid return to form, and even scored a goal during a training game, the statement said.

The footballer injured his left knee in a November first division match against Real Madrid's arch-rivals Barcelona, and it was feared he would be out for the rest of the season, and might well not play in the World Cup, which begins in Germany in June.

The Madrid captain had asked the manager to take part in training, and all his colleagues felt pleased to see him participate.

Madrid's management said they would not force the pace of Gonzalez's recovery, but they had noted his rapid improvements. They said they would increase his workload by stages and it would not be long before he would be able to join in a whole day's training like any other player.