“I tried to avoid surgery” – Tottenham player on his injuries difficulties and fight to return

It’s been a long and painful road for Erik Lamela, but the Argentinian forward is now back to full fitness at Wembley.

While he isn’t a regular starter, the 25-year-old has played a part in every league game since November 28th, and still has Mauricio Pochettino’s trust despite not playing for more than 400 days due to a hip injury.

Giving an interview to Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Tottenham’s clash against Juventus in the Champions League, the former Roma starlet opened up about how he ended up spending so long on the sidelines.

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He said: “I have a hip problem. The doctors told me it was a congenital anomaly I’d had since birth. With football, the problem worsened and I was forced to stop. I tried to avoid surgery with physiotherapy and I turned to a physio I trust, Damiano Stefanini.

“I worked in Rome and that’s why I returned to Italy for a few months. Things got better, but it wasn’t enough. At that point, I had to accept that I needed surgery: well, two, not just one. Then, I started a long rehab course, ending up with me on the pitch. Now, I’m good.”

Linked very briefly with a return to Roma in January, Lamela never really looked likely to leave Tottenham, at least this season, and ended up being key in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

Kicked by Virgil van Dijk in the dying minutes of the game, the foul on the Argentinian allowed Harry Kane to make up for his previous penalty miss and bring a point back to London.