Lolo Reyes has got his smile back. The Chilean midfielder, who has not been able to train with the rest of his teammates since the preseason started because of his sprained left knee, stepped out today on to the training pitch at Slaley Hall Hotel. Together with the fitness coach, Fran Molano, Lolo Reyes has done a number of exercises aimed at him getting a feel for the game again and to assess how the recovery from his injury is progressing. It is progressing well thanks to the specific recovery programme prepared for him by the medical staff, with demanding sessions in the gym and the swimming pool. The treatment the midfielder has to follow entails a gradual build up in the work load so that Lolo Reyes can return to training with the rest of the group. Initially it would appear that the player will be able to train under the orders of Julio Velázquez next week and increase his level of fitness so he can compete on an equal footing with the rest of his teammates.

The work the South American player has undertaken on the training pitch was the highlight of the training session in which Julio Velázquez tried out different options in terms of possible line-ups. The coach has devised a series of different training matches in which he has switched the composition of the teams around.

The Betis team will train again tomorrow in the north of England, the only difference being that there will only be one training session because of the forthcoming friendly match Velázquez's team will play against Stoke City FC at the Britannia Stadium at 8 pm (7 pm, UK time).