Manchester City have been extremely unlucky with injuries. This season alone Leroy Sane, John Stones, Gabriel Jesus and now Aymeric Laporte have all been injured.
Last weekend we all feared the worst when defender Aymeric Laporte was carried off on a stretcher during Manchester City’s win over Brighton. It seemed particularly awful because the day before Laporte had actually been called up to the France national team for the first time.
Today Laporte and City have released a statement about his injury and we are pleased to say, although it is still serious, it is better than it could have been.
Aymeric Laporte has undergone an operation in Barcelona under the guidance of Dr Cugat, our preferred surgeon, to repair his knee cartilage and lateral meniscus. It is reported that the operation has gone well and now Laporte will start his recovery.
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The knee is the largest joint in the body and comprises various cartilage, ligaments and bone structures. Any damage to the knee can effect different parts of the structure of the knee so recovery time can vary. Usually, it is ligament damage which is considered the most serious and takes the longest recovery time.
I am no medical expert but even a cursory look around medical websites confirms the expected full recovery time for a meniscus tear which requires surgery is around 4 months, meaning it is hoped Laporte will be available for the second part of the season.
An exact date cannot be guessed as it depends exactly where the tear in the meniscus is and how much surgery was required. Whether Laporte’s recovery goes to plan or whether further surgery is required. So there is little point in speculation.
Usually following surgery the rehabilitation is about strengthening the knee and the aim is about getting back to full knee rotation within a month – the rest of the period is about building strength and managing issues which arise.
Meniscus injuries often affect elite athletes and footballers and recovery can be fairly routine and not have any long term effect. However, some patients can find recovery time is slower and there can be complications.
Benjamin Mendy has been suffering from meniscus issues since February. This is not altogether unusual in that an injury to another part of the knee can impact upon the meniscus as changed running styles can put pressure upon other places in the knee.
Anyway we are pleased to hear Laporte has successfully completed surgery and we wish him all the best for his recovery. We look forward to seeing him back on the pitch again.