Gazzetta dello Sport report today that Roma midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo is set to miss out on a place in Italy’s Euro squad this summer, being unable to recover in time from his cruciate ligament injury. The 21-year-old has been out of action since last September, having previously sustained the same injury on the other knee from January to July in 2020.
Although Zaniolo was set to make his return before the end of the season, his recovery schedule had been delayed by a three-week bout of Covid-19. This in turn has extended the Roma man’s estimated return time by 4-6 weeks, as advised by the doctor who carried the operation on his knee in September, after a check-up a few days ago showed that the midfielder still had 10% less muscle tone in his left knee than in his right.
As a result, the former Inter man has now set his sights on next year’s World Cup, all but resigning himself to missing out on this summer’s tournament. Azzurri manager Roberto Mancini on the other hand – speaking to Gazzetta – has stated that there is a 70% chance for the midfielder to miss out on his final squad, all the while calling for patience and stating that he would still be keeping tabs on Zaniolo for now.
The Giallorosso is now expected to make his return in time to play the final games of the Primavera season, with his national team manager insisting that he avoid trying to rush back – “He has a very long career ahead of him, he mustn’t push it because health is the most important thing.”
