The club statement simply said that the procedure was carried out “under the supervision of the Real Madrid medical department”. Real also said: “Alaba will begin his recovery process in the next few days.”
No information was given regarding possible downtime. Normally, the compulsory break after such an injury is around six months. Austria’s first game at EURO 2024 will be against France on June 17th in Düsseldorf.
Bayern grandee Uli Hoeneß had previously revealed Alaba’s desired clinic and declared on Monday evening in “Sport and Talk from Hangar 7” on Servus TV that the procedure would be carried out by a doctor “in whom we have great confidence.” This is Fink, the man who and his team at “Joint Point” are among the best knee surgeons ever. Fink has already operated on Bayern stars Leroy Sane and Manuel Neuer, and Austria’s ski stars also rely on the expertise.
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Fink expressed skepticism on Monday about a timely recovery for the European Championship in Germany, which begins on June 14th. “There is no miracle cure, a cruciate ligament injury always takes time,” Fink told the APA and estimated a general downtime of between six to twelve months. The doctor answered evasively whether Alaba could soon be on his operating table.
ÖFB President Klaus Mitterdorfer described the ÖFB star’s injury as a “shock for the entire Austrian football family. He takes the entire team with him. I wish him and us that he receives the best possible medical treatment and that he will be back soon.” Former Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner has not yet written off the Viennese. “It will certainly be close, but if anyone can do it, it will be David with his experience. He is a model professional and certainly has the best possible support from all sides.”
