Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has confirmed that he has been forced to undergo a second operation during his rehabilitation from a hip injury.
The club announced in February that the Liverpool-born ace had gone under the knife in the United States following discussions with various experts, as Forshaw continued to be plagued by issues that have kept him on the sidelines since September’s 1-0 loss to Charlton Athletic.
Forshaw entered the action from the bench at the break that day, having sat out the previous two Championship contests after developing his hip issue, which led to his surprising omission from the side against Barnsley following a strong start to the season.
Surgery in Colorado by expert physician Dr Marc Philippon was always expected to end Forshaw’s campaign, though the 28-year-old has revealed that the enforced postponement of fixtures due to the coronavirus pandemic has made it ever-more challenging to determine when he will be able to return to the field.
“I underwent surgery again last week on my right side, which will now see me on the mend,” Forshaw told talkSPORT, via quotes by Leeds Live.
“I’m fortunate as I’m actually still able to go and use the pool at the training ground with the physio because it comes under medical health reasons.
“I’m still in a few days a week but doing a lot of work at home.
“I’m taking it day-by-day, week-by-week.
“I can’t really put any time-frame (on) in terms of games, because nobody knows when we’re going to play again.”
Forshaw being able to head into Thorp Arch for use of the club’s training facilities amid the lockdown will certainly come as a ‘fortunate’ boost for the £4.5million midfielder, who could yet make an early return from his injury hell to aid our promotion bid if the postponement of fixtures last much longer.
Boss Marcelo Bielsa will be aware of the risks of playing Forshaw if the 28-year-old is deemed fit to feature, and the Argentine has all the experience to know if the chances of reaggravating the issue are worth the potential benefits.
Forshaw was a strong presence in the side during his six starts and 45-minute cameo at the opening of the league term, when he recorded an average 1.2 successful tackles, 0.7 blocks, 2.0 shots, 1.1 successful dribbles (100%) and 1.1 key balls per 90 minutes, according to data collected by WhoScored.
In other Leeds United news, fans have been up in arms after reports claimed the club could target a £25,000-per-week “liability” this summer.