Manchester United have suffered a setback to sign Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman setback as the Dutchman is set to undergo a surgery for a possible ligament damage he suffered in a Serie A game. Hence, the prospect of Van Gaal’s reported first choice transfer may still end up staying at Rome rather than making the switch to Old Trafford atleast till summer.
Strootman was substituted after 34 minutes of the 1-1 draw against Fiorentina after taking a knock to the same knee that was operated on last year. That surgery kept him sidelined from March until November, 2014. The knee ligaments will be assessed when Strootman returns to his native Netherlands for a procedure to remove an excess of tissue from the joint.
The club is yet to confirm the duration of him staying on the sidelines, nonetheless the player took to Twitter to say he expected to be back soon.
A statement on Roma’s official website said tests carried out earlier this week had revealed the build-up of tissue in his body. Hence, it has been suggested to remove this through an arthroscopy. “The operation will be performed tomorrow [Friday] in Amsterdam and, at the same time, it will be possible to evaluate the state of the ligaments,” the statement added.
Strootman has made only six Serie A appearances since returning to action but has been linked with a move to United. That has prompted the Roma president James Pallotta saying any club who are interested in him would have to pay a “huge” fee to sign him.
United manager Louis van Gaal knows the 24-year-old well from his time as Netherlands coach and is reportedly keen to sign him once he has made a full recovery from his knee problems. But, the latest setback means that move may not materialize in January and United may have to wait till summer to get their man.
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