Published 21:13 IST, January 12th 2021
Man United's Alex Telles reveals horrific details of fractured skull in his early career
Man United left-back Alex Telles recollects the details of his horrific skull injury suffered during his Gremio days, similar to Raul Jimenez's setback.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Perhaps the most notable thing about Man United left-back Alex Telles apart from his man bun is a huge scar on the side of his head. The Brazilian international wears his scar with pride and recently spoke about his skull injury in length. The 28-year-old also expressed a speedy recovery to Wolves striker Raul Jimenez, who suffered a similar injury after a clash of heads with Arsenal's David Luiz last month.
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Alex Telles skull injury: Man United star recounts skull fracture incident from his early days
Speaking to Inside United, Man United left-back Alex Telles told how he suffered a fractured skull while playing for Gremio in Brazil. The 28-year-old said, “It was from football when I was playing for Gremio. It was the Gre-Nal derby, Fred was playing for Inter at the time, we were rivals". Telles said that he was contesting for a high-ball with an Internacional player when their heads clashed. The Manchester United man suffered a depressed facial fracture from the collision.
During his surgery, doctors used metal plates and screws to heal his injuries. Telles was ruled out for the best part of three months, with a fractured nose in addition to the head injury. The operation involved the reconstruction of the skull bone. The former Porto man revealed it was a difficult and complicated moment for him, but he learnt a lot during his time off the pitch. Telles said that the scar is a part of his identity and a reminder of his story for the rest of his life.
The Brazilian international revealed that his injury was very similar to that of Raul Jimenez. The Man United star wished the Wolves striker a speedy recovery and empathised with him as he continues his recovery. The Mexican international faces a lengthy rehabilitation, but was spotted at the Wolves training ground and the Molineux during their game against Spurs. When asked if Telles had a message for Jimenez, the Brazilian left-back said, "What I can say to Raul is that unfortunately, this type of scenario exists in football. It's not normal but it happens. I've been through it as well and I'd like to wish him a lot of strength".
Alex Telles has had a slow start to his career at Manchester United, with COVID-19 and Luke Shaw's form keeping him on the sidelines. The 28-year-old has featured in 12 games so far across all competitions, mainly as a backup to Shaw, but will be hoping to pounce on his limited chances and make a mark. Telles featured against Watford in the FA Cup last time around and is likely to be in contention for the game against Burnley on Tuesday night.
(Image Courtesy: Man United Twitter)
Updated 21:13 IST, January 12th 2021