Sumo Fit Again
By Aston
April 25 2008
Town midfielder Velice Sumulikoski has been told he can start playing again and will not need surgery on his shin.
Sumulikoski was expected to have surgery on a torn artery in his shin which would have seen him out of action for around 3 months but after seeing a specialist earlier today he has been told he won't need surgery and can play again.
Town physio Matt Byard: "The early indication was that surgery would be needed, but we took Shumi to see a London specialist who carried out a thorough examination and says that the healing process in his shin is already well underway.
"The specialist is of one of the top vascular surgeons in the country and has a team working under him, one of which is a consultant for Chelsea. He is happy for Shumi to carry on playing and obviously that's great news for the player and the Club.
"The specialist explained in great detail the extent of the injury and the recovery process and Shumi was very happy in the way the surgeon carried out his investigations.
"The problem came to light because he was complaining of a coldness in his foot in the last 20 minutes or so of games and it's obviously a circulation issue. It's likely he will continue to experience symptoms for weeks, even months but he's clear to play and came through a training session on Thursday without any problems."
Sumulikoski was delighted to be told he could play again, adding: "The specialist in London was very good and gave me the news that I wanted to hear, I was disappointed to miss last week and it looked like I would need an operation but the specialist has said everything is healing well and that I can carry on playing.
"It has been a good week for me. It was my birthday yesterday and I picked up the keys to my new house in Ipswich. Now I can carry on playing football again as well and maybe help the team reach the Premier League. It will be difficult, for sure, but if we can win at Preston on Saturday then maybe we have a chance."
Source: Ipswich Town - the official website
Talk about Town on our Message Board.