One thing we have learnt in the past few years that footballers who suffer from anterior cruciate ligament injury hardly return as the same player. That’s the consequence one has to pay for being a victim to this injury.

There are numerous examples of players who have done well after recovering fully from ACL tear – the likes of Mikel Arteta, Alan Shearer, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Alessandro Del Piero comes to mind.

At the same time, ACL rupture has resulted in serious of injuries thereby preventing a footballer, for example Michael Owen and Michael Essien, to successfully play at the highest level with same intensity.

Kevin Strootman is a reported transfer target of Manchester United

I sincerely hope Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman to recover fully from his injury and fulfil his true potential. But, there will always be a risk with him.

A former Roma club doctor believes that Strootman’s latest injury have come because his previous surgery didn’t go perfectly. 

“My impression is that the surgery on Strootman’s ligament did not go perfectly,” Brozzi has told La Partita Perfetta on Gold TV, via Guardian. “I don’t know what happened to his knee, but his Cyclops syndrome results from a problem in the ligament’s position.

“The cartilaginous damage is determined by the extensive deficit. Now, if this is the situation, I see no way out. But it’s not up to me to say whether further surgery is needed.”

Strootman is a long term target of Manchester United and going by the media reports the Red Devils are expected to make a move for him in the summer.

Roma have made it clear that they will not sell him but any transfer fee in the region of €70-80m could force them entering into any deal.

United have had bad experiences while dealing with injuries (Owen Hergreaves) in the past and therefore they should look to avoid signing any players on high transfer fee who could be prone to this vicious cycle of picking up regular injuries time to time.