In this Feb 16, 2020 photo, Espanyol's Chinese forward Wu Lei celebrares after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match between Sevilla FC and RCD Espanyol at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville. (CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP)

Wu Lei appears to be on the road to recovery from his coronavirus infection after the Chinese star revealed he is already back training in Spain. 

Wu Lei continues to insist he’s feel­ing better day by day and the infec­tion won’t harm his long­term career — a view endorsed by sever­al Chinese medical experts

The 28-­year-­old’s health has been a major topic of concern for fans back home ever since the Chi­nese Football Association con­firmed the Espanyol forward had tested positive for COVID­-19 late last month. 

Wu has endeavored to allay those fears, saying he had only mild symptoms and there was no need to worry. His latest update, howev­er, is perhaps the most reassuring news yet. 

ALSO READ: China's Wu Lei confident of future career despite COVID-19 infection

“Despite no one knowing when La Liga will restart, our coaching team is still giving us training plans to keep us fit and competitive,” said the Espanyol forward in his per­sonal blog on Wednesday. 

“Since today, I’ve started to do some basic training... There are a lot of things that can’t wait. The only way to grow without regrets is to keep moving forward.” 

Wu continues to insist he’s feel­ing better day by day and the infec­tion won’t harm his long­term career — a view endorsed by sever­al Chinese medical experts. 

“If Wu Lei only shows mild symp­toms until he’s fully recovered, the infection will not cause significant harm to his body and his profes­sional career will not be affected,” said Jiang Weiping, an expert on respiratory diseases at Huadong Hospital in Shanghai. 

Wu’s upbeat outlook and deter­mination to return to action as quickly as possible should come as no surprise to those familiar with the irrepressible striker, who became the first Chinese to sign permanently for a Spanish top­ flight team in 2019. 

Since then, Wu has grabbed his chance to shine in one of the world’s best leagues with both hands, proving he belongs at the highest level of the game and pro­viding a welcome boost for Chinese soccer amid the ongoing woes of the national team in World Cup qualifying. 

It has not all been plain­-sailing for Wu, though. After a superb debut campaign, goals have been harder to come by this term, with Espanyol currently bottom of La Liga and facing the prospect of rel­egation to the second tier. 

It remains unclear how a possi­ble cancellation of the season due to the pandemic might affect the team’s precarious situation. 

Wu was among six members of Espanyol’s squad, including back­ room staff, to be diagnosed with the virus. The former Shanghai SIPG striker says the crisis has brought the squad closer together. 

“Our team had an online confer­ence call this week, so that every one of us could share our latest experiences and feelings at this time,” Wu revealed in his blog. 

“I told them my recovery situa­tion and my teammates who are infected are also in good condition despite some still having mild symptoms. We are all keeping posi­tive and believe we will be fully recovered in a short time. 

“In the video chat, many people looked so different than half a month ago, and that was funny. The barbershops here are all closed during the pandemic, so some play­ers have grown beards while some have weird haircuts. Some even have shaved heads now. 

“There was truly a great atmos­phere in the video chat. It’s like we had all returned to the locker room. 

This big family is always warm and full of love.” 

Wu is now with his wife, Zhong Jiabei, during his quarantine at home, while their two kids are reportedly temporarily staying with his parents in Barcelona. Like many people around the world these days, Espanyol players have found killing time problematic. 

“My teammates that don’t have children just keep training, reading or painting. But more just play vid­eo games,” said Wu. 

“Those with children, who thought they could just relax sitting at home watching movies, have found that they can actually be bus­ier than under normal circumstan­ces. They have to cook for their children, clean the house, play and have online courses with the kids. 

“Parents often don’t have enough time. All of us hope the pandemic can end as soon as possible and that life can return to its normal trajectory.” 

READ MORE: Wu's coronavirus battle continues

In an interview with China Cen­tral Television last week, Wu revealed that his wife first began to feel unwell a day after he displayed symptoms, before a positive test confirmed her diagnosis. 

“I’ve been staying with my wife and it’s been not easy for her,” he said. “We’ve faced the problem together and luckily our symptoms have disappeared.”