On the mend: Dania Sofea after her operation last year.

PETALING JAYA: Women’s doubles shuttler Dania Sofea Zaidi has reason to smile this Hari Raya Aidilfitri despite having only a short break with her family.

The-19-year-old has returned to the court ahead of schedule after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her left knee last September.

Dania, however, has yet to resume full training as she is still not fully recovered and remains in the rehabilitation phase.

Still, being back on court has lifted her spirits after previously having to watch her teammates train from the sidelines.

“The physiotherapy team cleared me to return to court about four weeks ago, but for now I’m only doing light training and my movement is still limited,” said Dania.

“I’m happy to be back on court and moving again, despite the restriction.’’

At the same time, Dania is grateful for the support from the coaching team, who have continued to offer advice and encouragement during this difficult period.

“My coach told me not to worry too much about the injury and to stay focused on my training. I was also reminded not to overthink it, as I will recover sooner or later.