Ibrahimovic Out For Eight Months Following Knee Surgery
AC Milan and Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s future is in doubt after he had knee surgery that could keep him out for up to eight months.
Ibrahimovic who helped Milan clinch a first Serie A title since 2011, had a planned procedure on his left knee to repair damage and instability caused by a previous anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The 40-year-old’s current deal at Milan expires this summer and he is not expected to be fit until midway through the 2022-23 campaign.
Milan in a statement on their official website read: “AC Milan announces that Zlatan Ibrahimovic underwent an operation on his left knee carried out by Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet, with the club’s medical director Stefano Mazzoni in attendance, at the Hospital Jean Mermoz in Lyon.
“The arthroscopy had been planned for a while to definitively resolve the joint’s instability through the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, with lateral reinforcement and meniscus reparation.
“The operation was a complete success and the prognosis is estimated between seven and eight months.”
Reflecting on his injury setbacks this season and helping Milan become Serie A champions, Ibrahimovic wrote on his Instagram page: ”For the past six months I played without an ACL in my left knee. Swollen knee for six months. I was only able to train with the team 10 times in the last six months.
“Took more than 20 injections in six months. Emptied the knee once a week for six months. Painkillers every day for six months. Barely slept for six months because of the pain. Never suffered so much on and off the pitch. Made something impossible to something possible.
“In my mind I had only one objective, to make my teammates and coach champions of Italy because I made them a promise. Today I have a new ACL and another trophy.”
The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Manchester United striker scored eight goals for AC Milan in the just concluded league campaign.
Complete Sports/Emmanuel Ukoh
