Backstage Update On Injury Status Of Former WWE Women's Champion Asuka

Former WWE Women's Champion Asuka has been out of action since May after suffering a knee injury that forced her to undergo surgery, but a new report suggests she might be nearing a comeback as the women's Royal Rumble match looms.

Fightful Select provided an update on Asuka's injury status on Monday, indicating that WWE has started to put creative plans in place for her return. Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp was told a "potential tag team match option" was pitched but didn't go through. The "Empress Of Tomorrow" reportedly picked up the injury ahead of WrestleMania 40 last March and has been in recovery since she lost the tag titles alongside Kairi Sane at Backlash last year.

Fightful made it clear that they are not reporting Asuka is set to return at Royal Rumble, and they could not confirm whether she's been training for a return at the WWE Performance Center. During her recovery, Asuka initially began sharing vlogs across social media outlining her surgery, which then became training videos which showcased her rehab process.

If Asuka does end up returning as part of the women's Royal Rumble, it will be the fourth time she has entered the match in her career after becoming its inaugural winner in 2018; she would go on to face (but not defeat) Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34.