Nikola Drinčić' career in jeopardy

After having a tremendous season for Amkar Perm, twenty-four year old midfielder Nikola Drinčić is facing an extremely long lay-off with a serious knee injury. The extent of the injury is so serious that the Montenegro international is best served not to play next year and probably will not be one-hundred per-cent to the mid-point of the following season.

"I still can't believe what happened. This is a big blow for me and my career. It's a very complicated injury. My ligaments are completely ruined. I know that after this kind of injury my career could be over. Right now I can't think about football. I just want to recover as soon as possible. I was very satisfied with the way I played this season. I didn't miss any training, nor any matches. I had plans to take another step forward in my career. Now, everything is just a dream."

Montenegro coach Zoran Filipović said of the injury:

"If there was ever an injustice in football, then this was that injustice. Drinčić is an excellent player and a real professional. We will miss him a lot. He is a key member of our team and we can't find a proper replacement. I hope he will recover and help us at the end of the qualifying campaign."

Unfortunately reconstructive surgery of this extent requires an extended rehabilitation period. While he will begin showing promise within six months he will be highly susceptible to re-injuring it in the first twelve to fourteen months and unlikely to be "one-hundred per-cent" until eighteen months after the surgery. For the sake of his career and long-term health, patience must be observed.