AC Milan have confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery after suffering an injury at the end of last season.
The 39-year-old sustained the setback against Juventus on May 9, which in turn forced him to miss the final three games of the Serie A campaign.
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Fortunately, the Rossoneri were able to secure Champions League qualification despite his absence, but there’s no doubt that his presence was missed.
Ibrahimovic scored 17 goals and provided three assists in 27 appearances last season across all competitions, and so despite his advancing years, he has proven that he is still more than capable of making a decisive impact.
However, he now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery, as noted on the club’s official site, as it had initially been hoped that he would be able to receive conservative treatment and avoid having a procedure.
The expectation with this type of surgery is that Ibrahimovic will start running in around four weeks, while he’ll hope to return to playing in around eight weeks.
Provided his recovery now goes to plan with no setbacks, he might be available for Stefano Pioli by mid-August, which in turn puts his participation at the start of the new Serie A campaign in doubt.
For now though, Milan will be patient and hope he comes through his rehabilitation unscathed, as ultimately it’s important now that the knee issue doesn’t become more troublesome.
That said, with a lack of depth and alternatives to lead the line even last season, it’s certainly an area which will be addressed in the transfer window to ensure we have enough quality in the final third to compete on multiple fronts.
