Based on Ogden's reporting, the "knock" story is becoming less plausible.
By
Mark Ogden
11:51AM GMT 06 Nov 2014
11 Comments
It appears nonsensical now, as Radamel Falcao battles for form and fitness at
Manchester United, but the Colombian forward harboured genuine hopes of appearing at the World Cup this summer, just five months after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Falcao tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing in Monaco’s French Cup tie against Monts d'or Azergues on January 22.
Yet having performed surgery on the player three days later, surgeon Jose Carlos Noronha raised the prospect of a swift return in time for Brazil by claiming the operation, ‘went well and the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t small’.
Jose Pekerman, the Colombia coach, even included Falcao in his provisional 30-man squad for the tournament before reluctantly cutting the country’s most iconic player from his final 23-man selection on June 9.
Now contrast Falcao’s unwinnable race against time with the road to recovery taken by Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, who suffered the same injury as the United striker – a torn anterior cruciate ligament – on January 4.
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Walcott missed the World Cup – he was never given a hope of making Roy Hodgson’s squad once the injury was confirmed – and only returned to action for his club at the weekend, with a ten-minute substitute appearance against Burnley at the Emirates.
The 25-year-old is regarded by Arsene Wenger as still being some distance from full fitness, with the Arsenal manager determined to ease Walcott back into action gently.
Falcao has not been afford the luxury of similar patience, however, and the player and United are both losing out as a result of that.
With Monaco’s finances dictating that Falcao’s £335,000-a-week wages had to be offloaded this summer, just 12 months after his £53m arrival from Atletico Madrid, the forward found himself back in action at the beginning of August when he played and scored against Arsenal in the Emirates Cup in London
His move to United followed at the end of the month, but to date, Falcao has made just five appearances – three starts and two from the bench – and scored one goal.
He has missed the last two games with a calf injury and will not be fit to face
Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Three months into his loan move, which is costing United a £6m loan fee and £265,000-a-week in wages, Falcao is beginning to resemble an expensive gamble, particularly with Danny Welbeck giving Arsenal plenty of value for money following his £16 million arrival from Manchester.
United have already agreed a fee with Monaco and personal terms with Falcao over a permanent move to Old Trafford next summer, but the question now is how long it will take him to return to his best – if, indeed, he can.
Hindsight suggests that he was rushed back far too early by Monaco, especially when his rehabilitation period is measured against Walcott’s.
The risk every player faces when returning from a long-term injury are the minor setbacks which are beginning to afflict Falcao.
He is suffering from being in a Catch-22 situation.
If his appearances are sporadic, he will take longer to rediscover form and fitness, yet if he pushes his body beyond what it is currently capable of, he will sustain new injuries.
The 28-year-old is a popular figure within the dressing-room at United, with club staff also remarking how surprisingly humble and amenable the player is.
Despite his status as a global superstar, Falcao’s down-to-earth personality has proved disarming, as has his determination to overcome his fitness problems.
There is hope that, by missing the visit of Palace this weekend, Falcao will sit out Colombia’s friendly against the United States at Craven Cottage next Friday and also the trip to Ljubljana to face Slovenia four days later, in order to fine tune his fitness at United’s Aon Training Centre.
Louis van Gaal remains convinced that Falcao will succeed at United and become a prolific goalscorer in the Premier League, but so far the gamble has yet to pay off.
United are prepared to be patient, though, simply because they believe the rewards could be spectacular if Falcao regains the form that made him the most sought-after forward in world football prior to his injury.
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