No timeline for his return was initially given after he received treatment for the wound at a local medical centre, however Burling was confident he would be on board again during the weekend.
The Black Foils go into the weekend looking to make it third time lucky in the grand final, after missing out on the season title at the final hurdle in each of their last two campaigns.
The one-race shootout for the US$2m ($3.5m) will be contested after fleet racing this weekend, with the Abu Dhabi event in itself being decided by the all-in contests.
The Black Foils need to finish sixth or better across fleet racing in Abu Dhabi to ensure their place in the grand final, with Great Britain, Australia and Spain the only other teams in the 12-strong fleet who are in a position to qualify for the three-boat finale.
Great Britain lead the season standings with one leg remaining on 85 points, three ahead of the Black Foils and five ahead of Australia, with the Spanish a further four points back.
Spain, last season’s surprise winners, would need everything to go their way to secure a spot in the grand final.
There is still plenty to play for across the fleet. For the regatta itself, the team who finish the regular season at the top of the standings gets a cash bonus, while the Abu Dhabi event maintains the usual US$800,000 prize pool seen in the league’s other regattas.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
