Aubameyang Suffers Meniscus Injury and Will Undergo Surgery

Aubameyang Will Have to Undergo Surgery

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's brilliant start to the season has suddenly hit an obstacle nobody expected in A Coruña.

Deportivo confirmed that the Gabonese striker will undergo surgery in Madrid on Thursday, September 24, to address the problem affecting the lateral meniscus in his right knee.

The issue emerged during the draw against Betis at Riazor.

Aubameyang did not start that match after being affected by the viral illness that had hit the squad in the days leading up to the game. Antonio Hidalgo brought him on during the second half in search of a comeback, and the striker even came close to scoring, but he finished the match with discomfort in his knee.

Further tests eventually confirmed that the problem required surgery.

Trauma specialist Manuel Leyes will perform the procedure at the Olympia Center in Madrid. If everything goes according to plan, the player will be discharged from the hospital on Thursday and return to A Coruña to begin his recovery.

Deportivo Loses Its Top Scorer

There is still no official timetable for his return.

Deportivo's medical report only states that Aubameyang's recovery will determine when he can gradually return to training with the rest of the squad.

Radio Coruña reported that the medical team's intention is to perform an arthroscopy and that, if his recovery progresses without complications, he could be sidelined for around six weeks.

For Hidalgo, losing him at this particular moment represents a major blow.

Aubameyang had quickly erased any doubts about what he could still offer at 37 years old.

Official LaLiga numbers have him as Deportivo's top scorer with five goals, while he is also among the team's leaders with two assists. He had started six of the opening seven league matches and almost immediately established himself as the team's main attacking reference.

The coach will now have to find another solution in attack, with players such as Nsongo Bil, Zakaria Eddahchouri and Yeremay Hernández among the available alternatives.

From Matching Zlatan Ibrahimović to Being Forced to Stop

The injury is even more painful because of when it has arrived.

Just a few days ago, Aubameyang matched a mark that had not been achieved in LaLiga for 17 years.

The Gabonese striker found the net in each of the opening five matchdays of the season, becoming the first player since Zlatan Ibrahimović, with Barcelona in 2009, to score in each of his first five games of a LaLiga campaign.

It was another example of the immediate impact he had made since arriving at Deportivo.

Five goals, two assists and a level of influence that quickly made him one of the biggest names of the early LaLiga season.

Now everything will have to stop.

Another Blow for Antonio Hidalgo

Aubameyang's absence is not the only problem.

Antonio Hidalgo has also just lost Marc Casadó, who required surgery after suffering a fractured collarbone during the same match against Betis.

In a matter of days, the coach has lost two important players from a team that had made an encouraging start to life back in the top flight.

In Aubameyang's case, the club will have to wait until after the operation to have a clearer idea of when he could return.

At 37 years old, he had started the season by proving that he could still make a difference in LaLiga.

Now his next challenge will not come in front of goal.

It will be recovering so he can try to pick up exactly where he left off.

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will undergo surgery on Thursday for an injury to the lateral meniscus in his right knee after suffering the problem against Betis.
• The striker has five goals and two assists and is currently Deportivo's leading scorer in LaLiga.
• The club has not announced an official recovery timetable, although Radio Coruña reports that a favorable recovery could see him return in around six weeks.

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