Published 16:48 IST, November 6th 2020
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has doctors wanting to perform research on his body after he retires
Doctors plan on doing extensive research on Zlatan Ibrahimovic's body once he retires, to determine how he recovered sooner than expected from his ACL surgery.
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AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic reportedly has doctors wanting to perform research on his incredible physique once he hangs up his boots. The 39-year-old Swedish superstar suffered a serious knee injury back in April 2017 while playing for Man United, that ruled him out of action for around seven months. While many believed that Zlatan would never return to football after his knee surgery, the veteran forward recovered sooner than expected and three years later, is leading the goalscoring charts in Serie A.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic fitness levels leave doctors curious
According to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's agent, Mino Raiola, surgeons at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have been curious to know how the Swede was able to recover from a knee injury he suffered back in April 2017.
Zlatan suffered an ACL injury during Man United's Europa League quarter-final clash against Anderlecht and needed to be stretchered off late in the game. An ACL injury typically sidelines a player for around nine months but can keep one out of action for even longer, depending on the severity of the injury.
Many believed that Zlatan, who was 35 at the time, might have played his last professional game after the career-threatening injury. However, the determined forward was keen on proving everyone wrong, and he did just that.
Following his ACL surgery, Zlatan worked his way back to full fitness and was back in action for Man United just seven months after sustaining his injury. While speaking on his recovery, Zlatan said, "I worked hard during my recovery every day, didn't rush anything, followed the protocols."
Not only did Zlatan return to the pitch, but he also joined the MLS in 2018 and scored 52 goals in 56 appearances for LA Galaxy in his 18-month stint. Zlatan then came back to Europe and re-joined AC Milan earlier this year in January. He currently sits at the summit of the Serie A goalscoring charts with seven goals in four appearances for the Rossoneri.
Given that Zlatan is playing professional football at 39 is impressive enough but the fact that he continues to perform at such a high level is something that has left doctors in awe. The medics that operated on the four-time Ligue 1 winner were so impressed with his recovery that they wish to use Zlatan for further research in the future, once he retires.
Image Credits - Zlatan Ibrahimovic Instagram
16:48 IST, November 6th 2020