Aliya out of nationals?

My favorite friend sworn enemy Valentina Rodionenko is making interviews and press releases again still. I think she has to make one every day to stay alive or something. This time she's saying that it's unlikely that Aliya Mustafina will compete at nationals, because she's still in recovery from her knee surgery. Read the article here, there's no word yet from Aliya herself.

Wasn't it like last week when she was suggesting that Aliya could compete at Stuttgart this weekend? But now won't make nationals. Yeah, Valentina has no idea what's going on as usual. That or she just likes to confuse everyone: If we go back to her press releases, last year she thought Aliya would have AA by nationals. A few months ago it was beam and uneven bars. To weeks ago she was ready for Stuttgart. And now she'll have nothing ready by nationals.

Because I'm much wiser than Valentina (hopefully), I thought it would be extremely unlikely that My Tsaritsa would have all events back by nationals. Her surgery was back in Novermber, and she wasn't able to start full training until February. Two events sounded realistic. Stuttgart sounded crazy. Not competing sounds again, realistic. Disappointing, because we haven't seen her in ages, but not surprising.

Aliya's absence from competition this time is a long one. It's starting to feel like that time Vika went off the grid and I thought she was never coming back. But Aliya is still at Round Lake training and her surgery was only 4 months ago. If she needs more time, she needs more time. Or maybe she wants to compete only once a year to make it extra special, have people miss her and then adore her when she's there. Or maybe she's giving us emotional practice for when she retires? Slowly easing us to get used to extended periods without her so that the end will be easier when it finally comes.

Or maybe I'm just going crazy. Please come back before Rio, okay? I miss you.