Maradona set to undergo knee surgery after struggling to walk properly

Maradona set to undergo knee surgery after struggling to walk properly

Akan Anwankwo
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:45 PM

- Maradona's surgeon says he needs to have an operation to walk properly

- The Argentine football legend is currently suffering from severe arthritis

- The 55-year-old is presently coaching a Mexican second division side

Argentine legend Diego Maradona's surgeon, German Ochoa, has revealed he needs artificial knees if he is to carry on walking.

Ochoa confirmed Maradona has severe arthritis in both knees after footage emerged of him struggling on a training pitch.

The Colombian medical practitioner said the knee replacement surgery is the only long-term option for the football legend.

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Ochoa operated on the 58-year-old in 2004 and saw him again before the World Cup when he injected a gel-like fluid into his knee joints to ease his pain.

After a video emerged of Maradona struggling to walk with the help of his assist Luis Campos at the training ground, Ochoa told Argentinian news website Todo Noticias: “Maradona has severe arthritis in both his knees and has no cartilage left.

“The bones rub together. It’s a serious problem because it causes him a lot of pain and swelling and makes it difficult for him to move.

“Maradona knows the solution is an operation and prostheses in both knees.

“He has to take a decision on knee replacement surgery in the short or medium term."

“There is no solution for arthritis. It leads to a total and progressive destruction of the cartilage and if it’s not dealt with, it gets worse. That’s why knee replacement surgery is needed.

“Diego won’t be left unable to walk, it’s not going to get to that stage. Technological advances means there are solutions nowadays.

“But the most intelligent way of reaching a solution is to operate on his knees. First one and then the other. Diego knows it because we’ve spoken about it many times.”

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Argentina legend Diego Maradona has urged Lionel Messi to stay away from international football.

The Barcelona superstar wasn't able to help his country avoid crashing out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia at the second round stage after losing to eventual winners France.

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