Barcelona’s Ansu Fati Provides Emotional Update on Knee Injury

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Barcelona forward Ansu Fati has offered a revealing update on his recovery from knee surgery with his latest post on Instagram. The 18-year-old has been out of action since November and there’s still no return date.

Fati has been hit by a series of setbacks as he tries to return to full fitness and has offered some telling insight into the challenge he faces. The forward even admits he’s in a similar situation to when he suffered a double leg fracture that saw him sidelined for almost 12 months when he was 13.

“A few years ago I had a serious injury, a fractured tibia and fibula, I spent almost a year without being able to play. There were many days of suffering and pain, but also a lot of learning, it helped me to appreciate the little details. With my family and all the professionals who helped me at that time, I promised myself to keep going and work harder than ever to do what I like the most !! Unfortunately, now I have to live a similar situation, which I will face with the same mentality. I want to thank all those people who follow me and support me on a daily basis. Football is my life and no matter how many obstacles there are, I will always have the illusion of continuing to fight for my dreams …”

Fati’s comments suggest it will still be some time until Barcelona fans can expect to see the youngster back out on the pitch. The forward has been advised he may need to undergo further surgery to fix his current knee issues, according Javi Miguel at AS.

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Knee Pain Kept Fati Awake

Barcelona originally ruled Fati out for four months when he first went under the knife, but his recovery has been complicated. The club subsequently announced in January that Fati had undergone “regenerative biological treatment” on his knee.

The teenager has since endured setbacks that meant he woke up at 3am with a swollen knee and the knowledge that the club’s treatment was not working, according to Mundo Deportivo’s Cristina Cubero.

Fati has been to three more doctors for further advice and was advised a third operation would be needed. The youngster decided he would stress test his knee over 15 days before finally deciding whether to go under the knife yet again.

What Next For Fati?

The are two options for Fati if further surgery is required, according to renowned traumatologist Dr. Pedro Luis Ripoll. The surgeon spoke to Mundo Deportivo about the options available to the 18-year-old.

“If the suture continues to give problems, there are two options. On the one hand, you can try to sew it again, which is indicated in small meniscal tears. On the other, a partial meniscectomy can be done, that is, removing the affected piece of meniscus,” he explained, “Of course, always bearing in mind that the meniscus is a shock absorber that protects the cartilage of the knee and that if the cartilage breaks, it does not heal. And that is a problem because if there is no cushioning between the bones, friction occurs that generates many problems. Therefore, all efforts must be aimed at saving as much meniscus as possible because Ansu has a lot of his career ahead of him.”

Fati only turned 18 in October and so does have a long and exciting future ahead of him. The youngster has faced adversity before in his young career and may now need to draw on that experience as he bids to recover fully in the months ahead.

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