Doctor shares Richarlison injury update ahead of Tottenham v West Ham United
We’re delighted to welcome injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the injury situation at Tottenham Hotspur...
Tottenham Hotspur attacker Richarlison is unlikely to play the full 90 minutes against West Ham on 7 December, according to Dr Rajpal Brar.
The Brazil international returned to action for Spurs against Manchester City as he came off the bench in the 3-3 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
However, the injury expert believes that 90 minutes is still too soon for him and he’ll also have to be wary about suffering setbacks as it is a high-load area in football.
Discussing the state of play with Richarlison exclusively with Tottenham News, Dr Brar, a doctor in physical therapy and a sports scientist, said:
“It is difficult to give any timeline on him starting or playing the full 90 minutes because it all depends on how he responds to training and match minutes.
“The fact that he was on the bench v Manchester City is a very positive indicator that he’s responding well thus far but is still not quite ready to play for too long.
“That said, setbacks are always possible as he progresses through training and more minutes especially since the pubic and adductor areas take on a high load during football.“
In the second week of November, Richarlison had to undergo surgery on his groin as it was a long-standing problem.
Prior to that, Ange Postecoglou has used the Brazilian in a plethora of roles as he aims to find the perfect balance in attack.
The 26-year-old has featured 11 times in the Premier League this season – out of which seven have been from the first minute.
He’s scored one goal and provided three assists and Postecoglou will be hoping that he adds to his returns sooner rather than later once he’s fully fit.
In other Tottenham Hotspur news, a player is mooted to have suffered a setback in his rehabilitation and now may be out for longer than first expected.