Wijnaldum Back in Rome, January Return Remains Possible

We've spent so much of the World Cup break fixated on transfer rumors that we may have overlooked Roma’s most important addition: the return of midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum. The club's second-biggest signing of the summer after Paulo Dybala, Wijnaldum's Roma career got off to the most Roma start possible after he was cut down in training by Felix Afena-Gyan, who the club has since sold.

Sidelined since late August with a fractured tibia, Wijnaldum's recovery has been slow and steady, but the 32-year-old Dutch midfielder turned a significant corner today, returning to the club's training grounds in Trigoria. While he didn't participate in a full training session with his teammates, Wijnaldum trained individually, taking to Instagram to share the good news.

Decked out in his Adidas gear, Wijnaldum went through individual training this afternoon, but the real good news may have to wait a few days. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Wijnaldum will undergo further medical tests on Thursday to determine exactly when he'll return to the pitch. Presuming a favorable prognosis, Wijnaldum would ease his way back into action playing with the Primavera next month before finally returning to action in February.

We'll pass along updates as they become available, but a healthy Wijnaldum will go a long way toward helping Roma reclaim a spot in the top four.