News coming out of Portugal today has revealed that Chelsea target Viktor Gyokeres has had surgery on a knee problem following the conclusion of Sporting’s season.
The 25 year old had an incredible campaign, racking up 43 goals and 15 assists as he helped the Lions to the league title. But despite that, it seems he was playing the final months through the pain barrier with a niggling knee issue, which surgeons have now attempted to tidy up.
He will miss 5 to 6 weeks, allowing him to be back for the vast majority of preseason training. It’s an interesting decision from the Swede – he knows this massively damages his chances of getting a move this summer. But perhaps his intention was to stay all along? Either way, this is a sensible long term decision and this is the moment to make it.
🚨🇸🇪 Viktor Gyökeres just had an operation on his left knee. He felt pain for months, but still played.
He will be out for 5/6 weeks, reports @Record_Portugal. 🏥 pic.twitter.com/8jjXB1SkbG
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) May 29, 2024
A risky move just got riskier
Chelsea’s summer plans still aren’t too clear, and the pursuit of a striker seems to have gone quiet while we work out who our next manager is. At times Gyokeres looked like a popular option however, so this is fairly significant news.
It’s only a minor procedure, but given the unprecedented injury crisis the club have just suffered, we wouldn’t be at all surprised if they’re scared off by even this level of intervention on a target they’d have to invest heavily in to sign.
Of course, if we reach the end of the summer and we’ve still not secured an alternative, and Gyokeres is back training and looking healthy, we wouldn’t rule anything out. What is certain is that we can’t go into next season with only Nicolas Jackson as a option up top, and whether we go for Gyokeres or a cheaper option, someone needs to come in and help share around the goals a little.
