Mixed messages on Ben Arfa return.
Posted on January 26th, 2011 | 84 Comments |
Today, the player’s representative, Simon Stainrod, was reported in that well known bastion of quality journalism, The Daily Star, as saying that:
“Hatem is absolutely flying.” adding
“He’s been away to Dubai for a bit of warm weather training and now he’s back in France and training really, really hard.”
However the player himself said in another interview that:
“The doctors told me I should not rush it. We must be rigorous in this regard.”
Ben Arfa’s leg was broken in two places by a vicious “scissor” tackle from Manchester City hatchet man, Nigel De Jong, on 3rd October, 2010. This was just over 3 months and 3 weeks ago, with De Jong breaking the player’s lower leg in two places (tibia and fibula). The average time it takes a broken lower leg (tibia or fibula) to heal is said to be up to around 6 months which is longer than usual as these bones have to support the weight of the whole body. These times can also be even longer with a double break and also if surgical correction is required. However, “healing” and being fully “match fit” and at the top of one’s game to play Premiership football, especially after a double break, can make the recovery process even longer in some cases. There is also the fact, as Ben Arfa’s doctors have hinted at, that rushing a return could be highly counterproductive and foolhardy in the long run.
So despite the encouraging word’s of the players agent, and Ben Arfa being in training at the French National Technical Centre in Clairefontaine; it could still be quite some time before the player makes a return to full first team action, and gets back to being his full self as a player.
If indeed, Hatem does manage to return to the cut and thrust of Premier League action anytime soon, it will be a remarkable achivement.
I understand that by placing the damaged limb into The Hadron Collider the healing process can be greatly accelerated. I think I saw this information somewhere on the internet from similar sources to some of the other football news.