Valencia's Diakhaby undergoes surgery on serious knee injury

Valencia defender Mouctar Diakhaby has undergone surgery on the severe knee injury he suffered playing against Real Madrid in La Liga last weekend, his club said on Friday.

"It was an arduous operation, but a success," Valencia doctor Pedro Lopez said in a video published by the club.

"It involved the reconstruction of multiple ligaments but we are happy with how it went," he added, revealing that "many ligament structures were damaged".

The 27-year-old French-born Guinea international centre-back dislocated his right knee in the 86th minute of the 2-2 draw last Sunday.

He collapsed to the ground in agony in his own penalty box, the leg buckling as Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni fell into him.

It was immediately clear the injury was extremely serious, and Diakhaby spent the next 48 hours under observation in hospital in Valencia.

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He then travelled to the French city of Lyon to undergo an operation performed by renowned knee surgeon Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet.

Lopez, the Valencia doctor, said Diakhaby would stay for the next two weeks in Lyon where he will undergo tests and then start his rehabilitation.

"He might undergo an arthroscopy in six weeks", said Lopez, adding that the player will "gradually begin the recovery process".

However, he did not give a timeframe for Diakhaby to return to action.

"The situation now is about looking forward and remaining optimistic. In all this long process that awaits us it is really important that the player keeps his spirits up."

Spanish media reports have suggested Diakhaby faces at least 10 months on the sidelines.

Diakhaby made his professional breakthrough at Lyon and played 55 top-team games for them before moving to Valencia in 2018 for a reported 15 million euros. He featured in the Valencia team that won the Copa del Rey in 2019.

Having been capped by France at Under-21 level, he later chose to play for Guinea and recently helped them reach the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.