Gerard Pique Unconvinced by Prospect of Knee Surgery
By Tom Gott
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is keen to avoid undergoing surgery on his knee injury as he wants to return to action before the end of the current season.
The centre-back damaged his knee in the recent 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid, and it has been suggested that he could miss close to eight months of action if he chooses to go under the knife to rectify the issue.
Pique met with doctors on Wednesday to discuss his options, but as noted by Marca, he's leaning towards declining surgery and instead focusing on more natural recovery methods, which would only keep him sidelined for around four or five months.
The 33-year-old knows that surgery would bring an end to his 2020/21 season, and Pique would rather skip the procedure and focus on returning before the end of the current campaign.
Marca expect a final decision imminently, but according to Catalunya Radio, Pique has already informed those around him that he will not be having surgery.
He is said to have already started a more conservative treatment plan, with Pique hopeful of making a full recovery in four months at the absolute maximum.
Barcelona doctor, Ramon Cugat, warned Pique that bypassing surgery could lead to more significant injuries further down the line, but it appears as though the Spaniard is prepared to take that risk in order to fight for his team.
Manager Ronald Koeman was caught on camera lamenting his side's injury woes ahead of Tuesday's 4-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv, in which he appeared to reveal Pique's recovery timeline to Dynamo boss Mircea Lucescu.
"We are having bad luck with injuries," Koeman said (via AS). "Ansu Fati will be out for three months, Pique may be out for four or five months, Sergi Roberto two."
Despite the uncertainty over injuries, Barcelona have advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League, but their 12 points from four European games is more than they have picked up in their eight La Liga games, which will be a real concern for Koeman.