In three months and three days, Sweden will play the World Cup playoff against Ukraine in Valencia.
With Alexander Isak on the pitch?
In that case, it will be necessary to postpone the rehabilitation.
"A fracture of the fibula near the ankle is not just a broken bone but affects the stability of the ankle. After surgery, at least 3-6 months of rehab are now expected before he is ready to play again. It can also take longer than that," writes Matilda Lundblad, sports physician and researcher, in a text message to TT.
“Work as hard as I can”
Isak himself made a statement on Tuesday evening on Instagram:
"I'm very disappointed to be out for a while. Time to recover and support from the sidelines. I'll work as hard as I can to get back as soon as possible."
Alexander Isak injured his left leg while scoring Liverpool's 1-0 goal against Tottenham on Saturday. In connection with the goal, the Swede was tackled by Micky van de Ven, and on Monday Isak underwent surgery.
"Unlikely" that Isak will be ready to play
Matilda Lundblad has extensive experience working with professional football players and was team doctor at Elfsborg for many years. Her assessment is that most of the evidence points to Isak not being ready for the match against Ukraine.
"With the reservation that I do not have knowledge of the exact details of the injury, I would consider it unlikely. This type of injury usually requires a longer rehabilitation period before a return to elite-level play is medically justifiable," writes Lundblad.
She also writes in her text message:
"The defender going into a late tackle shows a textbook example of dangerous play."
