"The problem was not the surgery" - Barcelona-based surgeon explains surprise reason behind Ansu Fati's injury woesÂ
Barcelona-based surgeon Dr. Ramon Cugat recently talked about the main reason behind Ansu Fati's recurring injury woes. Fati had suffered a crucial knee injury in November 2020 and has faced several injury woes since his recovery.
Ansu Fati rose through Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, and made his senior team debut in a LaLiga clash against Real Betis in August 2019. He was considered one of the best young players in the world before his knee injury in November 2020 against Real Betis. The Spaniard had to undergo surgery and remained out for 305 days.
Since his return, Fati has suffered from recurring fitness and injury woes. The Spain international has not been able to maintain consistency and never returned to his former peak. Fati recently suffered a muscle injury during training on November 13 and is expected to remain out until December. This is his second injury of the season following a foot injury in pre-season.
In a new interview, Spanish surgeon Dr. Ramon Cugat, who performed the knee surgery on Ansu Fati, highlighted the key reason behind his injury woes.
"I performed the knee surgery on Ansu Fati, but I was not responsible for his recovery. His father told me that the knee has completely recovered now, his problem is a hamstring issue. The problem was not in the surgery, it was his rehab," Dr. Cugat said (via Barca Universal).
He added:
"What happened to Ansu Fati is that he overexerted himself, working out twice a day instead of once. That caused his knee to swell. The problem was not the surgery, but the rehab he performed. The doctor who performed the surgery should also control his recovery."
In 119 outings for La Blaugrana, Ansu Fati has recorded 29 goals and 10 assists. The Spain international has been used sparingly by Hansi Flick this season, with only one start in seven appearances across competitions. He has played 158 minutes for Barcelona this season.
Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho rejects move to sign Barcelona star Ansu Fati in January: Reports
According to MARCA, Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho is reportedly not keen on signing Barcelona star Ansu Fati in the January transfer window. The report comes after the Spaniard was linked to a possible move to the Turkish side over the summer.
The aforementioned report claims that Mourinho ruled out signing Fati after his recent muscle injury. The idea was to observe Fati's current form and minutes under Hansi Flick. However, the German tactician has used the 22-year-old only sparingly this season, highlighting his lack of confidence in the youngster.
Therefore, Fati's lack of consistent form, multiple injury woes and lack of minutes under Flick have reportedly led Mourinho to decide against signing Fati in January. The Spaniard's current contract with Barcelona ends in June 2027.