Luana: 'I feel a lot stronger'

Luana, you returned to competition in December after 282 days out. What was your first impression?

"It was an incredible feeling, because I love playing football and it was tough not to be able to do so for such a long time. I was really missing it. It was great to feel the atmosphere of a game and the presence of the fans. Being on the pitch again, and scoring to mark my return capped a great evening, it was very special for me."

How did your recovery go? 

"Everything went well. Excellent professionals accompanied me throughout and I had the support I needed. It's a long process that requires patience. Thankfully, I feel 100% now and ready to participate in the upcoming games. It was a difficult period, but beneficial because I grew as a person and as an athlete. You have to have the necessary dedication to do what is required each day and have the strength to not give in, because there are some very difficult days. Now, I feel a lot stronger and ready for anything that comes my way."

You play Dijon on Friday. What's the feeling in the squad?

"We take every game seriously. Every point is important. We want to maintain our momentum in the league. We must always give our all, because our opponents are strong. Dijon are a very good opponent, we saw that in the Coupe de France. We won on penalties last month. Every club we face is at 100% against us. We have to always be focussed as much as possible so as to not slip up and drop any points."

What are the squad's goals for the second part of the season? 

"Our aim is to win every competition in which we play. We work really hard for that. In the league, Lyon are ahead of us, but everything is still possible. We still have to play them and they can drop points along the way. The main thing is that we do what we have to do, that we don't drop points, and that we make the difference in the second game against them at home.

"There's also the Champions League, which has been an objective for several years now. I think we're very strong this year, and we're working very hard to reach the final and win it. The Coupe de France is another goal. We're playing Montpellier, who are a very good side. There won't be a single game in which we have margin for error."

Next week, you'll be back with the Brazil squad, and you'll face some of your teammates who play for France! 

"I'm very happy to be back with the national team after a long injury. I hope we'll have a good tournament. My teammates and I face each other in training every day.  They're really top players. This time, it'll be everyone for themselves as we're defending our countries. It's always an honour to be part of the national team and have such an important role. It's a huge responsibility, but I'm looking forward to it."