Croatia’s head coach Zlatko Dalic has backed Ivan Perisic to make a full recovery after it emerged earlier this week that the Tottenham man had suffered an ACL injury.
Tottenham officially confirmed on Wednesday that Perisic had suffered a ‘complex ACL injury’ in his right knee, which would require surgery.
According to various reports, the experienced wide-man is expected to be out of action for a minimum of six months (Fabrizio Romano), which means that he might not play until late March or early April.
The news certainly comes as a blow for Tottenham as although Perisic had not started a Premier League game this season, he had proved a very useful impact substitute for Ange Postecoglou.
The Croat, who played a key role in the build-up to Spurs’ late match-winner against Sheffield United on Saturday, now faces a race against time to be fully fit in time for next summer’s European Championship.
Ivan Perisic is expected to bounce back from injury
However, Dalic is confident that the 34-year-old will make a full recovery before the tournament.
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The Croatian head coach told Sportske: “Knowing his dedication and physical capacities, I’m convinced that he’ll make a superb recovery and reach the desired form by June.
“I cannot and do not want to imagine our national team without Ivan, we are all with him, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing him again in a representative environment.
“I wish him a successful operation, then a quality recovery and a return to the field so that he can do what he knows best – lead Croatia to great victories.”
Croatian Football Federation president Marijan Kustic insisted that Perisic will get all the support he needs to recover fully from the injury.
He said: “We were all saddened by this news about Ivan’s knee injury, primarily because of him, but also because we all saw against Latvia and Armenia how well he is in good shape and with how much enthusiasm, desire and motivation he still performs for the Croatian national team.
“However, I’m encouraged by his positive and determined attitude, and we all know how carefully and dedicatedly he works on his physical preparation, and there is no doubt that he will perform his recovery with maximum quality.
“Therefore, I deeply believe that he’ll welcome the Euros fully healthy and in the right shape, and that he will be one of the players and character leaders of our team in Germany, as he has been for the past ten years.
“Ivan can count on maximum support from the Association during his recovery, I know that the entire national team is with him and we can’t wait for him to be with us again. From the bottom of my heart, I wish him a successful operation and an equally successful recovery.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It can be hard to recover and get back to your previous levels when a player gets an ACL injury when he is 34 years of age. However, Perisic certainly appears determined to work his way back to full fitness, with the Euros next summer being a massive motivator for the Croat.
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