Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Football player

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for various clubs in all the major leagues and the Sweden national team. The clubs he played for: Malmö FF, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy and AC Milan. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time. Ibrahimović is one of the most decorated active footballers in the world, having won 31 trophies in his career. He has scored over 570 career goals, including more than 500 club goals, and has scored in each of the last four decades.

The ACL injury

If people knew the real injury, they would be in shock that I was even playing. It was more than the knee but I will keep it personal – that’s why I choose not to talk of it,” – Zlatan Ibrahimovic after his comeback.

On thursday 20 April, Ibrahimović sustained serious ligament damage in his right knee in a Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht at Old Trafford.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s season is in doubt after suffering a serious-looking knee injury in Manchester United’s clash with Anderlecht. The Swedish striker landed awkwardly as he attempted to control a ball in the final seconds of normal time. Ibrahimovic’s knee appeared to hyperextend as he landed, with the striker in clear discomfort as he lay on the ground. Medical staff were called onto the pitch as the final whistle was blown but fortunately the striker was able to limp off. The Swede did at least manage to walk off but it did not look promising and the layoff may be a long one. He has just over a month before the Europa League final, should United get there, at the Friends Arena, Stockholm, the stadium where they are putting up a statue in his honour.

On Saturday 21 april, Manchester United released a statement confirming Ibrahimovic suffered “significant knee ligament damage,” although they declined to provide a timeline for his return to the pitch.

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will reportedly miss the rest of the season as a result of the knee injury he suffered against Anderlecht in the Europa League on Thursday. According to Sky Sports News HQ, the veteran forward has played his last match of the 2016-17 campaign.

BREAKING: @ManUtd forward @Ibra_official unlikely to play again this season due to knee injury sustained against Anderlecht - sources #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/1Dm8cI7v3A
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 21, 2017

About the surgery

Doctor Freddie Fu was the man responsible for performing the surgery on Ibrahimovic’s knee. Since his very first operation in 1981, Fu – who moved to the US from Hong Kong to attend university in the 1970s – has racked up 20,000 of them. And 6,000 of those have been ACL-related.

Good news from Zlatan's team that he has undergone successful knee surgery. pic.twitter.com/pdJZJacUU1
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 2, 2017

Dr Freddie Fu: "Zlatan is one of the top athletes I've ever touched, he's in superb shape. He can still play for many years." #MUFC pic.twitter.com/IwcqNdE4Lj
— Devils Latest (@Devils_Latest) May 12, 2017

Comeback

212 days later
Zlatan made his comeback in the 4-1 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Saturday 18 November, entering proceedings on 77 minutes as a replacement for Anthony Martial. It was the 36‑year‑old’s first action since sustaining the injury on 20 April playing against Anderlecht in the Europa League.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic claims his knee problems were far worse than people realise. “In my recovery I have not rushed anything. People may believe that because I have been out for six and a half months but I have been following protocol and my schedule day by day,” he said. “The only secret has been working hard. Those close to me know what I have been doing – I was working five, six hours a day. When it happened I said to everybody giving up was not an option. “My only focus was on coming back and coming back better. For that you need to work hard. I know when I’m back it’s my head playing, not my knee. My knee has to follow. But this was not a one-man work, it was everyone’s and it is thanks to them that I am back on the field and can play because if people really knew the real injury they would be in shock that I was even playing. “But I keep that personal. People think it was only the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in my knee, but it was more than the ACL. But it’s sensitive and that’s why I don’t choose to talk about it.” More about this: Independent.co.uk