The moment Cris Melguizo had been waiting 350 days for finally arrived last Saturday. In the derby between reserve teams, which ended with a victory for Levante, the midfielder of Levante UD Femenino B returned to play minutes after overcoming a serious knee injury.

Cris Melguizo joined Levante UD Femenino B last season, but in the fifth matchday, the knee injury she suffered against Zaragoza CFF abruptly halted her first stint with the team. Last Saturday, the midfielder was able to enjoy a moment she had been waiting for a long time: "It was a super beautiful and super emotional feeling. In the end, it's a long time away. I was really eager to get out there, to be able to help the team, especially in a match like this. It was super special," Melguizo explained, adding that when she heard her name called to enter, she only thought that all the hard work had been worth it.

The journey to that moment has been marked by daily effort and the support of the professionals who have been by her side. Edu Domenech, one of the physiotherapists who followed her recovery, summarized the emotion of seeing her back on the field: "It’s a feeling of professional fulfillment because, in the end, you see a player happy again doing what she knows and does best." A process that Cris herself has described as a learning phase: "It’s something that has taught me a lot of things. I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve been with people who have contributed a lot to me."

Now begins a new phase for the '6' of the Levante reserve team, who will have to gradually regain her competitive rhythm and accumulate minutes. The midfielder approaches this next step with the same mindset she maintained throughout her recovery: "I’m really eager to come back, and little by little, I’m going to give my best until I come back much stronger." For Alex Baixauli, a physiotherapist who also accompanied her during the process, her attitude has been fundamental: "She’s the kind of player who immediately asks for one more set, one more exercise." Now, the goal is to keep progressing until she fully regains her form on the pitch.