Following the season, Joubert consulted different specialists about his knee injury and was told he would be unlikely to fully recover his normal strength if he underwent surgery; he therefore decided on a strict diet and specific exercises to restore his musculature balance. 2011–2012 season At the beginning of the season, Joubert announced that he would continue working with coach Veronique Guyon and choreographer David Wilson. As part of his preparation for the season, he also spent three weeks beginning in mid-July in Luleå, Sweden at a summer camp headed by Alexei Urmanov, and then went to Toronto, Ontario, Canada to work with Wilson. Joubert intended to begin the 2011–12 season at the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, but withdrew prior to the event. His assignments for the 2011–12 Grand Prix season were the 2011 Cup of China and the 2011 Trophée Eric Bompard. He sustained a back injury in practice shortly before the Cup of China and consequently withdrew from that event as well as from the Trophée Eric Bompard. Although not fully healed, Joubert returned in time for the 2012 French National Championships and won his eighth national title. Joubert did not fare well at the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships and placed 8th, the first time he had failed to win a medal at the Europeans. His next event was the 2012 International Challenge Cup; he finished first in the free skating and overall, as well as receiving credit for two different quad jumps in the short program. At the 2012 Worlds, Joubert skated his best short program in two years and set a new personal best score in the free skating and overall to finish fourth. Joubert declared that skating at the World Championships in France was the highlight of his career and that he was very pleased with his performance and looking forward to the next season. Joubert's final event in the 2011-12 season was the 2012 World Team Trophy, where he competed as part of Team France and finished third in the men's event. At the end of the season, Joubert discussed his decision to use the older Matrix program: "I knew that this wasn't a program to win or to achieve great results but it is a program I feel comfortable with and I needed it in order to take off next season." He added that "With a program like The Matrix, you have a