{"id":296248,"date":"2023-11-02T10:10:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T10:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=296248"},"modified":"2023-11-02T10:10:02","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T10:10:02","slug":"i-was-chelseas-next-best-thing-but-injury-ruled-me-out-for-three-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/soccer\/i-was-chelseas-next-best-thing-but-injury-ruled-me-out-for-three-years\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I was Chelsea’s next best thing but injury ruled me out for three years’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Chelsea appeared to have the next wonderkid on their books when they beat the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona to the signing of Charly Musonda in 2012. The then-15-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge from Anderlecht in his homeland and was tipped to reach the highest heights that football could offer. But he was struck by a serious knee injury that kept him out for three years and departed the club last summer after making just seven first-team appearances. He is currently plying his trade for Anorthosis Famagusta in the Cypriot First Division.<\/p>\n

After progressing through the Chelsea academy, Musonda impressed during a loan spell with Real Betis as a 19-year-old and was named man of the match as the team defeated Gary Neville\u2019s Valencia at the start of 2016. The winger had won two league titles, two FA Youth Cups and the UEFA Youth League during his time in the Chelsea academy and was eventually handed his first team debut as a substitute against Arsenal in the 2017 Community Shield.<\/p>\n

Following an unproductive loan stint with Celtic, Musonda then moved to Vitesse on a temporary basis in August 2018. But the player\u2019s career was about to grind to a halt due to a cruel twist of fate as he sustained a knee injury on his debut, a friendly against Royal Antwerp.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that game, the ball was in the air and someone just put his studs in my knee,\u201d the now 27-year-old told The Athletic. \u201cAs I hit the ground, I could feel something was wrong. It was almost half-time, so I was almost limping to half-time. As I was going into the changing room, my knee had swollen up.\u201d<\/p>\n

After returning to Chelsea for rehab, Musonda started doing training drills and sprints. But he felt his knee pop in one session. \u201cFrom there, I felt something was severely wrong\u201d, he continued.<\/p>\n

Read more… <\/strong> Chelsea ‘would fail with Mbappe and Bellingham’ as Pochettino faces grim reality<\/strong><\/p>\n

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More scans revealed Musonda had a grade two posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury. But he decided to put off surgery. \u201cIf you have surgery on a PCL, it might change the mechanics of your knee, you might not come back the same. It might change your game completely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Musonda ended up rejoining Vitesse for a second loan spell a year after his initial one as he looked to resurrect his career. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t completely healed, it wasn\u2019t 100 per cent, even in the summer, but I felt it was getting better. I could sprint. I still had a bit of pain, but I thought I was finally getting better,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

But disaster struck once again during a training session and experts told him his only hope was to undergo the knife, despite the fact the operation could end his football career. \u201cI was at the stage where my knee was completely swollen up every single time I was playing so I thought there was nothing else I could do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n