Cave at its zero hour: why is getting surgery more important than the three-time championship?

Type of Injury

Doctor Luis Cotillo indicated to Depor that, being a professional footballer, a injury as severe as a posterior cruciate ligament rupture requires prompt surgery and it is unlikely that they can compete: "For a player who has that type of injury, they have to have surgery because they play at a high level, as it affects the stability of the knee and would not allow them to play."

He also indicated: "They can continue playing for a while, but not for long. For example, if they manage it, they would play a maximum of ten minutes, but then they lose stability. The footballer would have to have surgery and then undergo physical therapy for 9 to 12 months. Because if they have such an injury, the footballer knows they have a high possibility of tearing the entire ligament area." In this sense, it should be considered that Christian Cueva is close to turning 32 years old and is already in the final stage of his career due to the lack of continuity he has been having lately.

Therefore, it should be remembered that this type of injury prevents a footballer from performing at a high professional level and, in fact, it is a very similar condition to the one suffered by Andrés Andrade which did not allow him to continue in the field. Although 'Rifle' was able to return after undergoing physical therapy and play a few minutes, the affected area worsened and he underwent an operation that will not allow him to reappear on the field for the rest of the season.

Cueva in the Future

As you may remember, beyond not having enjoyed regularity within the team this year or having won a spot in the starting eleven, Christian Cueva's intention is to renew his contract for the following season, considering that it expires at the end of this year. Regarding his stats, 'Aladino' has played 22 matches with Alianza Lima in the current season, starting in 14 of them but not scoring any goals.

In terms of the Copa Libertadores, the main objective for which he was hired in March of this year, the player has played five matches and started in two of them without scoring any goals or assists. Also, his recent time with the team has been marked by media indiscipline that has caused displeasure within the club and among the fans. For now, his renewal for 2024 seems quite distant.

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