Former Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah has confirmed he has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which looks set to keep him out of this summer's European Championships.
Fosu-Mensah, who brought his seven-year career at Old Trafford to an end when he joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window, was forced to withdraw early from their Bundesliga clash against Freiburg on Sunday.
The Netherlands international fell awkwardly after getting his boot stuck in the pitch and sustained serious damage to his knee, and he will now be forced to spend the next few months on the sidelines.
What was said?
Fosu-Mensah confirmed the ACL injury diagnosis to Votebalzone after Leverkusen boss Peter Bosz correctly predicted the nature of the issue in his post-match interview.
"We hope for something else, but fear a cruciate ligament injury," Bosz told the German media after watching his side lose 2-1 at Bay Arena.
How long will Fosu-Mensah be out of action?
ACL injuries can typically take between six to eight months to heal completely, meaning Fosu-Mensah will be unable to feature again for Leverkusen this season.
He will also likely be unavailable for selection when the Netherlands compete in the European Championships, with the tournament set to run from June 11 to July 11.
Fosu-Mensah could even be a doubt for the start of the 2021-22 campaign depending on how well his rehabilitation programme goes, but his long-term future at Leverkusen remains secure with his current contract not due to expire until 2024.
How has Fosu-Mensah performed for Leverkusen this season?
Fosu-Mensah has struggled to establish himself in Bosz's starting XI since joining Leverkusen, and made only his fifth Bundesliga start of the season against Freiburg at the weekend.
The 23-year-old left United in search of regular minutes, but has featured in just 10 matches for the German outfit in all competitions to date.
