Evan Ferguson has confirmed he successfully underwent surgery on his ankle injury in a social media post this week, news that will rule him out of Ireland’s World Cup playoff against Czechia later this month.
The Ireland striker has been sidelined since January by the issue, the second ankle injury he has sustained this year.
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It has been a problem area for the Meathman’s fitness for some time now, tracking back to his breakthrough year at Brighton in 2023.
He has now undergone surgery to address the issue, he said in an Instagram post late on Tuesday night.
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Evan Ferguson confirms ankle surgery
On his Instagram feed on Tuesday, Evan Ferguson wrote:
Just to clear some things I have underwent a successful surgery to fix an on going problem, work starts again now to get back fit and playing again
This is the first time that Ferguson has spoken publicly since being sidelined through injury, and the accompanying photo confirmed Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s concerning revelation that the injury is on the opposite ankle to that which was injured in 2023 (and earlier this season).
Ferguson has spent this season on loan at Roma from Brighton, and Gasperini had confirmed on Saturday that the Irishman’s season was all but over due to the planned surgery.
Italian reports had suggested that the ankle issue had become “chronic,” so to see the surgery carried out successfully will hopefully address what has been an ever-growing issue for the 21-year-old.
Ferguson received support in the comments of his Instagram post from fellow Irish players Will Smallbone, Killian Phillips, Bosun Lawal, Mark O’Mahony, Gavin Kilkenny and Leigh Kavanagh, as well as Roma teammate Kostas Tsimikas.
It’s a blow that Ireland head coach Heimir HallgrÃmsson has long been prepared for ahead of the World Cup playoff against Czechia in a fortnight’s time.
Though Troy Parrott is in flying form, the injuries to Ferguson and Adam Idah will require additional attacking call-ups. The return of Sammie Szmodics to the fray is likely, while some Ireland fans have clamoured for David McGoldrick to pull off an unlikely return to the squad, something Heimir HallgrÃmsson did not rule out when speaking to Republic Radar last week.
The big question for Evan Ferguson, should Ireland come through both the playoff in Prague and the following final against either Denmark or North Macedonia, is whether he would be recovered in time to take part in the World Cup this summer.
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