Injury Crisis: Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka haunted by a bruised patellar tendon

Bayern Munich have encountered setbacks due to numerous injuries and covid-related medical issues in the last two months. The problems caused by the absence of midfield duo Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka were not easy to resolve. The latter, who made his last appearance in the 3-2 victory against Borussia Dortmund, is yet to fully recover from his injury as the rehabilitation is taking longer than expected.

Goretzka was initially sidelined for more than two months due to hip problems, from which he was working his way back to the squad. A patellar tendon injury, unfortunately, has become a cause of concern for the 26-year-old, which is believed to keep him from playing for a fairly long time.

In the event of the rehabilitation therapy not showing signs of improvement, the German international will need to undergo knee surgery. For the time being, the club has reportedly decided to avoid the surgery and stick with the current treatment methods.

Sports medicine specialist Dr. Thorsten Dolla has confirmed that a sudden surgery is not necessary and it is important to see how the treatment goes in the coming weeks. He said (via Bild): “The patellar tendon sits below the kneecap and transmits the force of the thigh to the lower leg. If the leg is frequently stretched under full loads, such as when kicking a soccer ball, the tendon can become inflamed. As with Leon Goretzka, you can initially treat without surgery. However, if the tendon is too severe, an operation would be unavoidable.”

As things stand, it is impossible to predict when to expect Goretzka’s return to the squad. As of now, Bayern Munich is hoping for Goretzka to be healthy enough to return against Red Bull Salzburg in the second leg of the Champions League on March 8th.