Zlatan Ibrahimovic's career in doubt after serious knee surgery

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s future is in doubt after he had knee surgery that could keep him out of action for the rest of 2022.

The 40-year-old, fresh from winning the Serie A title with AC Milan, had an operation on his left knee to repair damage and instability caused by a previous anterior cruciate ligament injury and is expected to be out for up to eight months.

Ibrahimovic’s current deal at the San Siro expires this summer and he is not expected to be fit until midway through the 2022-23 campaign.

A Milan statement read: “AC Milan announces that Zlatan Ibrahimovic underwent an operation on his left knee carried out by Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet, with the club’s medical director Stefano Mazzoni in attendance, at the Hopital Jean Mermoz in Lyon.

“The arthroscopy had been planned for a while to definitively resolve the joint’s instability through the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, with lateral reinforcement and meniscus reparation.

“The operation was a complete success and the prognosis is estimated between seven and eight months.”