FC Porto midfielder Victor Froholdt returned to light training on Thursday as he continues his recovery from a concussion sustained in a match against Moreirense.
The Danish midfielder trained under caution at the Olival Sports Training and Development Center while following UEFA post-concussion guidelines, which forced him to miss Porto's mid-week Champions League defeat against Manchester City.
Froholdt suffered the injury during the final minutes of FC Porto's 2-1 victory over Moreirense on Friday, September 5, at the Estádio do Dragão. He lost consciousness after being hit in the head by Moreirense player Guilherme Liberato.
Although the midfielder regained consciousness while still on the pitch, medical staff removed him on a stretcher and transported him directly to a local hospital for urgent evaluation. He remained under observation overnight before being discharged on Saturday morning to begin a phased recovery process under European football medical protocols.
Following the incident in Porto, Guilherme Liberato was handed a two-match suspension by league authorities for the collision that left Froholdt unconscious.
FC Porto, one of the most successful clubs in Portuguese football history, conducts its daily sessions at the Olival complex in Vila Nova de Gaia. The facility, officially named the Centro de Treinos e Formação Desportiva Jorge Costa, serves as the primary base for first-team preparations and medical rehabilitation.
Concussion Protocols and Missed Champions League Fixture
The strict return-to-play protocol mandated by UEFA requires players who suffer brain concussions to undergo a mandatory resting period followed by incremental, monitored physical exercise. Because of these regulations, Froholdt was ruled out of FC Porto's home Champions League fixture against English side Manchester City on Tuesday, September 8, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for the Portuguese team.
UEFA established its head injury guidelines to safeguard player welfare, requiring medical clearance at each stage before an athlete can resume full-contact training or match play. The European governing body emphasizes that no player may return to competitive action without completing the entire protocol without symptoms.
Prior to his return to individual work on the pitch on Thursday, Froholdt had been resting at home under close supervision by FC Porto's medical staff following his discharge from hospital.
Squad Medical Status Ahead of Casa Pia Trip
FC Porto also updated the clinical status of several other squad members ahead of their upcoming league fixtures. Forward Samu has completed his rehabilitation and returned to full training with the main squad. However, Oskar Pietuszewski, André Miranda and Vasco Sousa remain restricted to conditioned training alongside Froholdt, while defender Zaidu continues to undergo specialized medical treatment.
FC Porto currently sit top of the Primeira Liga standings with a perfect record of 15 points from five matches. The league leaders travel to the Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior on Saturday, September 12, to face bottom-of-the-table Casa Pia, who have recorded just one point so far this season.
The match between Casa Pia and FC Porto is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 local time. Referee José Bessa, representing the Porto Football Association, has been appointed to officiate the sixth-round encounter.
