Ba returns 3 months after surgery on leg
Print Edition
SHANGHAI Greenland Shenhua striker Demba Ba showed up at the club yesterday, three months after the surgery on his broken left leg.
“The first phase of recovery in Qatar was very successful, given the mature facility and staff there,” the Senegal international told a press conference at Shenhua’s Kangqiao training camp in the afternoon.
“I will work with my recovery team in France next and do my best to return to the pitch as soon as possible.”
Ba then met up with his teammates and head coach Gregorio Manzano before doing some strength training at the camp. He plans to leave Shanghai on Saturday midnight.
The 31-year-old broke his left leg tibia and fibula in a clash with Shanghai SIPG captain Sun Xiang during their Chinese Super League derby on July 17. He underwent surgery in Shanghai on July 22, during which a 40-centimeter nail was fixed into his tibia by French surgeon Olivier Bringer.
Since that three-hour surgery, Ba has spent time at a health center in Qatar. He was the team’s top scorer before picking up the injury.
Ba arrived at Pudong International Airport at 5:30am yesterday, and was welcomed by more than 100 fans. He met club officials in the evening, and was to attend Shenhua’s 29th-round CSL match against Beijing Guo’an at Hongkou Football Stadium this evening.
Ba said he missed the team and also missed playing matches during his three-month recuperation.
It is still not clear as to when he will be able to start regular training, though the striker hopes to be ready for the start of next season in March.
Bringer said after the surgery that Ba would be able to play football again in about three months’ time, though he would need more time before he is competitive again.
“As a professional player, it was painful that I could only lie in bed and watch matches from a distance without being able to do anything. That’s why I have been strictly following the recovery plans while thinking what more I can do to speed up the recovery,” Ba revealed, adding that he had been following Shenhua’s performances closely. He congratulated the team for sealing a spot in next year’s AFC Champions League and praised teammate Obafemi Martins.
“I have to thank him for playing superbly for the team, and probably the best in the league. I really look forward to joining him in the team next year.”
Greenland Shenhua is third in the CSL standings on 47 points — one point more than city rival SIPG. With two more rounds left, the two teams are still fighting for a third-place finish to enter the ACL without playing an extra round of qualifying matches.
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