Richarlison has taken to social media to reveal that he was playing with ‘unbearable pain’ right from the start of the season, which is why he could not put off the surgery on his pelvis.
Richarlison admitted after the London derby against Chelsea that he would require surgery on his pelvis (ESPN) and Tottenham subsequently confirmed on Thursday that the Brazilian’s surgery had been successful and that he would be out of action for a few weeks.
The 26-year-old’s unavailability poses yet another problem for Ange Postecoglou, who is already without three of his attackers – Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic and James Maddison.
The former Everton man had shown some improvement in his performances after being moved to the left but his unavailability means that the Tottenham boss is now down to the bare bones in attack.
Richarlison opens up on injury problems at Spurs
Richarlison has now opened up on his struggles since the start of the season and thanked the fans for their messages of support.
The forward wrote on Instagram: “Today, I underwent surgery to correct a chronic issue I’ve been experiencing in the pubic region. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been dealing with unbearable pain, affecting my performance and joy on the field.
“A few days ago, I decided it was time to prioritize my health, recover, and regain the physical condition for my best performance and, most importantly, to live without the pain I’ve been feeling.
“Now, I’m heading home to rest a bit and kick off the recovery process. I know there will be challenging days without doing what I love most in life, but it wouldn’t be fair to myself, my club, and the national team to keep neglecting my health.
“Very soon, I’ll be back, God willing, 100% recovered and ready for the challenges ahead! Thanks for all the messages of support, and a big shoutout to the club’s doctors for their attentive care! Cheers!”
Spurs Web Opinion
Richarlison would not only benefit from having the issue sorted but the few weeks of rest might allow him to clear his head and come back stronger. The 26-year-old looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and almost appeared to be trying too hard. Hopefully, he will start enjoying his football again on his return.