Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic has given an update on his injury progress, saying he should return to action around nine weeks after his surgery.
The Serbian striker was operated on his meniscus in December after picking up an injury in last season’s CAF Champions League semi-final against Wydad Casablanca.
However, the doctors initially thought he could play on and avoid surgery but he struggled and couldn’t perform to a 100%.
“The injury actually happened at the end of last season; we were playing [CAF] Champions League second leg against Wydad Casablanca,” he told the club’s media department.
“I consulted with the doctors and the physios and we decided to keep going with some treatment so to leave surgery to be last option.
“As you saw, that wasn’t my best game that I was playing after that. I was struggling on the field with an injury. After that five games, we decided that we have to do surgery.
“We knew in the beginning after that game, we did all the MRI [scans], I’ve been in the hospital for all the screening, and they found out that there is a problem, there is a tear in my lateral meniscus.
“You can play with that, but you cannot play on 100%, maybe at 70% and I wasn’t able to give the best Samir Nurkovic to the team on the field and to help them the way I can.”
Nurkovic, though, has insisted he has stepped up his recovery process and could return to action in mid February.
“[For] three weeks I was on the crutches, just yesterday I stopped using them, so I already started cycling and the knee is getting better and better every day,” he confirmed.
“The doctor who did the surgery said around nine weeks from the surgery, but it also depends on you. Hopefully there will be nine weeks.
“We just started cycling this week. Physios are there all the time, 24/7 with me, talking, calling and asking how is everything.
“We’re doing everything but obviously with time and step by step, we have to take [it] step by step to be fully recovered.
“When you are in such a big club like Kaizer Chiefs, you have all the best doctors, physios and all that staff. You have people around you telling you what to do all the time. That’s why the recovery process goes faster.”
Chiefs will only return to action on 15 February, meaning Nurkovic has a chance to be part of the squad that takes on Cape Town City – given his recovery goes to plan.
