TOTTENHAM forward Harry Kane has been told by one of the UK’s leading surgeons that he will probably miss Euro 2020.
Worried Spurs fans hope to see the striker back in the spring but there are fears he won’t return until after the summer.
Kane felt his hamstring when stretching for a chance at St Mary’sCredit: PA:Press Association
Kane suffered a torn hamstring in the New Year’s Day defeat against Southampton and went under the knife last week.
England kick off their European Championship campaign against Croatia on June 14, making for a very tight deadline according to Dr Chris Wilson.
The orthopaedic surgeon told PA: “I would expect it to be six months before he could return to action.
“There is a big range of opinion because it is such an uncommon procedure and some surgeons may say quicker.
“If the repair was good and sound, the first six weeks he will be nursing the repair and doing very little.
“Six to 12 weeks, providing everything was OK, he will be doing basic strengthening exercises.
If it was me I would say aim for getting fit for pre-season training.”
Dr Wilson
“At three months you would start a normal hamstring rehabilitation that you would do if you got a tear in the middle of the muscle.
“If I was talking to a top-level footballer I would want to manage their expectations and say I wouldn’t anticipate them being fit and playing normally in a game for six months following the surgery.
“If it was me I would say aim for getting fit for pre-season training. I am aware in Harry Kane’s case they have been saying April or May – I have to say I would be very surprised.”
Dr Wilson has conducted the same operation carried out on Kane 75 times and states that an earlier return is “not impossible”.
But the hamstring problem affecting the striker poses risks of coming back to haunt him even if he is given a long period of rest.
Dr Wilson noted: “There is a risk of recurrence. When you do a hamstring repair, you’ll tell the athlete there is a risk of re-rupture.
“Coming back too early increases the risk of re-rupture. There is no getting around that.
“Most of the surgeons will say it will take at least three months before he is doing some normal running and training.
“He may defy expectations. If it was me, I would say forget playing before six months, no matter how good you feel.
“His surgeon may be a bit more relaxed about it and say, ‘Get to three months and see how he is’.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk