While so many had suggested that the injury picked up by Zlatan Ibrahimovic last month could be career threatening, he was not concerned.
After limping out of the second leg of Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final with Anderlecht, Ibrahimovic’s season came to an abrupt end and early signs suggested that the expected recovery time could bring a premature conclusion to a glittering career.
But, in typical Zlatan fashion, he told us not to worry.
Taking to Instagram to issue a defiant message, Ibrahimovic said: “I decide when it’s time to stop and nothing else. Giving up is not an option.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTPmFBWgkDG/?taken-by=iamzlatanibrahimovic&hl=en
Regardless of the severity of the injury, Ibrahimovic wasn’t prepared to let it tell him when to hang up his boots and it turned out to be a pretty spot-on prediction as the 35-year-old received the most important news of his career on Monday.
Ibrahimovic’s agent, Mino Raiola, confirmed that the centre-forward underwent successful surgery and that he would thankfully be able to take to the pitch again.
“Zlatan Ibrahimovic had surgery on his knee. He’ll have a full recovery and his career isn’t in jeopardy,” Raiola said.
“The operation was performed by doctor Freddie Fu and doctor Volker Musahl at the UPMC school of sport’s medicine in Pittsburgh. Zlatan has started his rehabilitation at UPMC and will continue to be treated by doctor Fu and doctor Musahl during his rehab.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has undergone successful knee surgery. Agent Mino Raiola confirms tonight it is not a career-ending injury
— Jim White (@JimWhite) May 1, 2017
It remains to be seen whether Ibrahimovic will sign a new contract at Old Trafford. There were suggestions last week that Ibrahimovic did not want to renew his current deal as he felt it wouldn’t be proper to receive such a hefty salary when he would be unable to help the team on the pitch for so long.
But now that the latest update would suggest that his absence will not be quite as long as first feared, perhaps the former Swedish captain will be more eager to sign on the dotted line and pull on the red jersey again next season.
