Medical expert fears Chiquinho may have triple ACL injury amid Wolves news
Wolves start Chiquinho’s ACL injury timeline could extend well beyond six months if there is also damage to his meniscus or MCL.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Chiquinho, 22, suffered what has since been revealed to be an ACL injury in the behind-closed-doors friendly against Burnley earlier this month (9 July).
Express and Star journalist Liam Keen reported in a tweet on Monday (18 July) that Chiquinho would undergo surgery in London on Wednesday (20 July).
Wolves have stated that the Portuguese winger is set to miss at least six months of action.
But Dinnery explains that his timeline depends on whether the injury is isolated to the ACL alone.
“The injury happened in a behind-closed-doors friendly with a fairly innocuous coming together,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“We don’t actually have the mechanism of injury, which makes things more difficult. There are a lot of factors to consider with ACL injuries. They are rarely done in isolation.
“The quicker return-to-play timelines of around six to eight months are a general indication that it’s just the ACL. The issues and extension to the timeline can come when there is secondary damage to the meniscus or MCL, for example.
“Those are potential factors that can impact Chiquinho’s timeline. We are certainly looking at 2023 either way.
“Given the age of the player, that may allow the club to manage the player more carefully. It’s about the player’s future career, not just the here and now.
“Is it possible that he could return this season? Without question. I think eight to nine months is realistic. It could be around late March or April.
“A good indication is some involvement with the Under-21s. We know Wolves have an exemplary injury record during their time in the Premier League. They have the infrastructure and the support mechanisms in place.”
In other news, Wolves backed for Morgan Gibbs-White U-turn after Everton source’s reveal.