The influential midfielder is in Japan for the Club World Cup but will not return to action until early 2013.

Jesus Zavala is ready to go - just not for the Club World Cup.

The Monterrey midfielder and El Tri regular - in Japan with his club teammates for the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup - has fully recovered from a knee injury, and doctors have given him the green light to resume all normal footballing activity.

“The doctors have given the approval and I’m going to work progressively with the team to be ready in January,” Zavala tweeted on Tuesday.

The Monterrey centerpiece suffered an ACL rupture in September, shortly after scoring for El Tri in a World Cup qualifying match versus Costa Rica.

If his recovery goes according to plan, he will return to the field at the onset of the upcoming Clausura 2012, and could be ready for Mexico’s Hexagonal opener versus Jamaica at home the first week of February.
Follow GOAL.COM on