If a player is injured and requires treatment, when can they return to the game?

The correct answer is that a player can return to the game as soon as the referee allows them back. In soccer, the match official has ultimate authority over the game, including the reentry of players who have received injury treatment. When a player is injured and treated, they must wait for the referee's signal to reenter the field. This is to ensure that the game is conducted safely and fairly, as the referee is responsible for monitoring the flow of the game and the condition of all players.

While factors like team strategy and coaching decisions are important, they do not take precedence over the referee's authority. The other options may imply circumstances that do not align with the regulations governing player reentry after injury. Therefore, the established protocol is that a player can only return to play when the referee has explicitly allowed it.