It seems like star footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s sporting career is in the hands of a Hong Kong-born surgeon after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a game last week.
The 35-year-old Manchester United striker was badly injured on the pitch on Thursday after falling in a match against Anderlecht in the Europa League, which also saw teammate Marcos Rojo sustain damage to his cruciate knee-ligament. According to reports from British tabloids, Ibrahimovic will be flown to the United States for a consultation with Dr. Freddie H. Fu, 66, a surgeon hailed as one of the foremost knee specialists in the world.
Fu, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, is an alumnus of the prestigious St. Paul’s College in Sheung Wan. After moving stateside in 1969, Fu attained undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Dartmouth, before getting his medical degree from The University of Pittsburgh. Fu, who now heads the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh’s medical school, is an expert in the field of sports medicine and specialises in ACL reconstructive surgery, having performed over 6,000 ACL reconstructions.
For what it’s worth, Ibrahimovic seems pretty positive for someone who’s sustained a pretty horrific, career-endangering injury. The 35-year-old shared a post on Instagram yesterday in which he thanked all his supporters for their concern and said, “One thing is for sure, I decide when its [sic] time to stop and nothing else. Giving up is not an option. See you soon.” The Swede, whose contract with United expires this summer, may be sidelined until early 2018, according to ESPN.
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Man U manager Jose Mourinho seems to be slightly more doubtful. Speaking before a match against Burnley yesterday, Mourinho told reporters, “Zlatan, in this phase of his career, it is really hard [to recover], and Marcos was in the best moment of his career, playing very well for us and finally getting a position as a central defender in the national team. It’s really sad.”
Here’s hoping Fu will be able to get Ibrahimovic up and running again before too long.
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