Manchester City keeper Ederson is back in Manchester City's starting XI, just five days after his sickening collision with Liverpool forward Sadio Mane.
Ederson looks like Frankenstein’s monster because of the number of stitches in his head following that horror clash with the Liverpool forward, which saw Mane sent off on Saturday.
But the Brazilian, signed from Benfica this summer for £35million, wore a headguard in Monday training and again on Tuesday morning, and just wanted to get back to playing — something he will get to do in the Group F opener in the Netherlands.
The 24 year-old will wear the same sort of protective headgear fans have become accustomed to seeing on Arsenal keeper Petr Cech.
Centre-back John Stones praised his team-mate's character, saying: “Ederson has got on with it straight away.
“After the game in the changing room, he was speaking to the boys as if nothing had happened, which shows what character he’s got.
“He just wants to be around the team, in that environment. I’ve personally not tried to ask him too much about it because I know everyone else will be.
“Everyone has seen his face — the stitches, the swelling — but he’s got on with it. He put a scrum cap on and trained today.”
Then-Chelsea keeper Petr Cech took a long time to psychologically recover from his head injury in 2006, but Pep Guardiola claims Ederson has shown no hang-ups so far.
The Spaniard is greatly impressed with his attitude and said he would decide on picking Ederson on the morning of the game.
“I could understand that feeling, but in today’s training session, there were two or three long balls and he was there,” said the City boss.
“Of course, it can happen, but we will see.”
Sure enough, Guardiola has decided he is ready for action.