Sevilla midfielder Jose Antonio Reyes has lost seven kilos in a bid to find the form that once saw him idolised at the Sanchez Pizjuan.
The former Arsenal man returned to the club from Atletico Madrid almost 10 months ago but has yet to produce the kind of performances that earned him a move to Arsenal in 2004.
However, Sevilla fitness Coach Jose Vallejo explained to AS that with a bit of fine-tuning and hard work Reyes is hoping to be back to his best within three or four weeks.
“He is a player who has a special genetic make-up. His best asset is his speed and we are working on that,” he said.
“We have a special plan that will give him power and strength and coupled with his great attitude I’m sure we will see him at his best shortly.
“Only a shoulder injury that has kept him on the sidelines for three weeks has slowed his progress but he has now recovered, although he is not 100 per cent.
“Before training we do special exercises involving weights and squat jumps, which we have been working hard on since pre-season, and hopefully this will see him regain consistency and assume more responsibility.
“He has a strong physique and says in tests he is always up there with the likes of Jesus Navas, so we must insist he proves it.
“He has tremendous quality but needs to be at the limit of his physical capabilities for that to be a determining factor,” concluded Vallejo.
