Jese Return Will Ease Workload for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale

He's been practically forgotten; unsighted on a football pitch around Europe since March, and—thanks to the all-conquering success of his high-profile teammates—barely heard from, either. 

Such a statement, of course, would have been unthinkable mid-way through last season. But injury came at an unfortunate time for Real Madrid's Jese, whose sudden burst in January and February catapulted the 21-year-old to Europe-wide acclaim.  

"Jese is an insane talent," Carlo Ancelotti remarked at the time, via Inside Spanish Football. 

"[He] is one of a few U-21 players with a chance [to make Spain's World Cup squad]," Vicente del Bosque added with an equally high level of praise. 

So profound was the impact of his five-goal, six-game stretch, Jese even found himself deflecting comparisons with the most illustrious of them all, Cristiano Ronaldo. 

But a heavy collision with Schalke's Sead Kolasinac put an abrupt halt to all that, leaving the forward to endure a lengthy absence with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. 

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In the weeks and months that followed, Jese wouldn't have needed to look very far to find someone who understood his plight. 

Three decades earlier in 1984, Ancelotti missed Roma's European Cup final against Liverpool when forced to sit in the stands with his own knee injury as the hosts lost on penalties to Joe Fagan's side. 

"The same thing happened to me at the same age and later, I still managed to make a career. I came back," the Real Madrid boss recalled in March, per Inside Spanish Football, when confirming the magnitude of Jese's injury. 

For a footballer, particularly a dynamic forward, injuries don't come much worse than those serious ones to the knee. Not only are they hard to come back from physically, there's also a mental scarring that's left behind; doubts can swell as the player loses a degree of faith in his own body. 

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It's understandable, therefore, why Real Madrid have been patient with Jese and his return. Of course, that patience has been aided by the team's form that has seen Los Blancos go in no short supply of goals (they've already reached a mind-boggling 46 strikes in 12 Liga games), but Real's careful approach is likely to pay dividends in the second half of 2014-15. 

"He will stay here," Ancelotti said last week of his recovering star, per Inside Spanish Football, when asked about the possibility of sending Jese out on loan. "He's already been playing in small games but he's still lacking a bit. I think that it will be around a month or so before we can get him back out on the pitch."

One senses part of the decision against a loan spell is to protect the emerging talent from further injury. At the Bernabeu, Real can be vigilant with Jese, whereas another club with no long-term interest in the player's health might simply seek to get the most out of their immediate investment, regardless of the distant consequences. 

But undoubtedly another consideration will have been the need to manage the workloads of Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in what is another gruelling season for the European champions. 

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Eyeing a historic treble that includes the defence of their Champions League crown, Ancelotti and his staff will be under no illusions regarding the physical toll that the club's season could have on its biggest stars. 

Including the pre-season campaign in the United States—a tour that, although largely missed by Ronaldo, Bale took part in—Real Madrid are possibly on track for a 65-game season that comes on the back of a World Cup and in the midst of Euro 2016 qualifying. 

There are no questions about it: When he's ready, Jese has a significant role to play. 

For Ancelotti, one of the key qualities of the LFP Best Youngster nominee is his comfort on both wings, which will afford the Italian the opportunity to rest both of his marquee forwards at various junctures in the second half of the campaign.

Encouragingly, the precedent is there that Jese can adequately cover for Real's main men.

"He's given us a lot this season, most of all when Cristiano hasn't been there," Ancelotti remarked of the young Spaniard back in March, referencing his goals during the Ballon d'Or winner's suspension in February.

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The importance of Jese's return is also heightened by the injury concerns that have lingered around both Ronaldo and Bale at various points this year. The Portuguese suffered from a multitude of issues in the early weeks of the season, while the Welshman has just returned from his own substantial layoff. 

Precautions, therefore, are necessary. In staggering form the team may be, but like any European heavyweight, Real Madrid are only ever a couple of serious injuries away from a derailed campaign. 

So while Ronaldo and Bale will continue to form the basis of the firepower residing at the Bernabeu, Jese, in his approaching return to support the pair, can ensure there's no depletion of the ammunition. 

Follow @TimDCollins