MADRID – Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain could be out of action for another four months following surgery and may not return to full fitness for a year, the doctor who carried out the operation said.
Doctors at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Tuesday “successfully” performed keyhole surgery to fix a slipped disc that has sidelined the 23-year-old Argentine since late November, Real said on its website.
The doctor who led the surgery, Richard Fessler, said the player could return to competition in four months.
“We found exactly what we expected, there were no problems with the surgery at all and he is recovering very well,” Fessler told reporters at the hospital, in a briefing broadcast on Spanish television. “I would not expect competitive play for somewhere between 3 and 4 months.”
Fessler said Higuain would continue to feel some pain but it should not prevent him from playing. But he said it may be another year before he is “100 percent” recovered. Real revealed at the beginning of December that the player had sustained a slipped disc that could require an operation. At the time, the club said he could be sidelined for two months. Spanish media has speculated that Real could bring in another striker in the January transfer window. But Real chairman Florentino Perez has reportedly ruled out any such move. Higuain, who was signed from River Plate in 2007, normally partners Cristiano Ronaldo in the front line and has been coach Jose Mourinho’s choice ahead of French international Karim Benzema. He has scored seven times in 12 appearances in the Spanish league this season. Real are currently second in Spain’s top flight, two points behind Barcelona.
Higuain may be out for four months
