Surgeon who operated on Ibrahima Ba explains to Sporting: He needs work | OneFootball

Ibrahima Ba was officially announced as a Sporting signing for the 2026/27 season, but he will still have to complete around four weeks of recovery before he can work without limitations. The centre-back underwent surgery on the meniscus in his right knee at the end of last season and lost muscle mass in the operated area.

Speaking to Record newspaper, Carlos Sousa, the doctor responsible for the surgery, assured that the problem should leave no after-effects or prevent the Senegalese player from returning to his best level. "The player will return at the same level. If it were an anterior cruciate ligament tear, it would be very different and the recovery would be slower. But not with the meniscus," he explained.

The specialist also ruled out the possibility of the injury causing any significant drop in the defender’s value. "It leaves absolutely no after-effects. If he is worth 20, he can still be worth 20. But he needs to be worked on a bit," he said, highlighting the quality of the medical departments and physiotherapists at professional clubs.

Before signing for Sporting, Ibrahima Ba came very close to joining Strasbourg, but the French club pulled out of the deal after the player failed his medical due to the condition of his right knee. Carlos Sousa believes the operation went normally and that the defender only needs to complete the different stages of recovery.

"He needs muscle strengthening, then he needs modified training, before recovering fully and training with the team," the doctor explained. The centre-back is expected to begin with physiotherapy and gym work, followed by a gradual integration into training sessions and matches, with a progressive increase in playing time.

The doctor also revealed that he had not received any request for information from Sporting or Strasbourg. "No one from the clubs asked me anything. I had no idea he was going abroad. I just operated, no one asked me for reports. Absolutely nothing," he assured, adding that Ba had no previous history of knee problems.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.