Kevin De Bruyne will be sidelined for at least three months. The Napoli midfielder's injury is a high-grade muscle tear, between level three and four according to the most modern classification. Riccardo Torquati, president of the Italian Federation of Sports Physiotherapists, confirmed this, explaining that the player will undergo surgery in Belgium to speed up his recovery.
“In sports medicine – underlined Torquati – These injuries are now considered actual fractures. Surgery is increasingly used to suture the muscle and allow for more stable and rapid healing. In your case, the operation could reduce recovery time from four to three months.
After the operation, the Italian club and the medical staff will develop a targeted rehabilitation plan: work on adhesions, restoring the scar's elasticity, revascularization, and strengthening muscle tone.
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But De Bruyne's injury isn't an isolated case. Mkhitaryan also sat out Napoli-Inter with a muscle problem. It's a sign of a now evident trend: modern football pushes bodies to the limit. “There is too much gambling – Torquati explained – Two games a week puts constant stress on tissues that don't have time to regenerate. And even the most experienced champions pay the price for years of strenuous exertion. With age, tissues lose quality and reactivity. But even young players aren't immune: genetics matter, and the stresses remain extremely high.
The FIFS president then underlined the crucial role of physiotherapists during competitions: "Timely intervention can change everything. Applying a compression bandage immediately, right on the pitch, allows the edges of the injured muscle to converge and begin the self-repair process. Sometimes, those few seconds make the difference between three months of sidelines and just one."
Comments (1)
It's very sad that De Bruyne has to sit out such a long time. Sports medicine is complicated, and the muscle injuries are serious. I hope the player can get back to fitness as quickly as possible after the operation, but rehabilitation is also important.