Ivan Perisic (34-Tottenham Hotspur) is on the operating table after going down with a cruciate ligament injury. Locally, the player is expected to be out for at least nine months before returning to the field, effectively ruling him ‘out for the season’.
“Perisic suffered an injury to his right anterior cruciate ligament in training,” Tottenham announced on their official website on Tuesday (June 20), “and will undergo surgery in the near future, after which he will begin a rehabilitation program with the medical team. He is expected to miss the rest of the season.”
Typically, anterior cruciate ligament injuries require at least six to seven months of treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation. Even if Perisic does return, it could take even longer to get back to full match fitness and condition. It’s effectively a season out.
What’s more, Perisic is in his twilight years. Even for younger players, cruciate ligament injuries take a long time to come back from, and even when they do, it’s hard to get back to full strength, but for a player who is approaching his mid-30s, it’s a serious enough injury that he could be considering retirement.
Perisic joined Tottenham last summer from Inter Milan at the behest of former manager Antonio Conte (53-Italy). Last season, he quickly established himself in the starting lineup, scoring one goal and providing 12 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.
However, Perisic sought a move away this summer as he felt he had no place under new manager Enze Postecoglou (57-Australia) after Conte, who recruited him, was sacked midway through last season for poor performances. Unhappiness with life at Spurs also played a part in his decision to leave. A return to Inter Milan was actually rumored, as well as a move to Hajduk Split.
Contrary to speculation, Perisic stayed on, impressed Postecoglou in training and friendlies throughout the preseason, and has been a regular in the rotation since the season began. However, his career came to a screeching halt when an unexpected cruciate ligament injury took him out of the lineup. 토토사이트
Notably, Perisic’s contract with Spurs expires next June. He’s already in his mid-30s, so it’s unclear if he’ll re-sign with the Spurs as his skills continue to decline, and now that he’s suffered a major cruciate ligament injury, some analysts are suggesting he may have to consider retirement.
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