Roma defender Chris Smalling has still not recovered from the injury which has kept him out of action until September, and recent updates suggest that his lay-off could now last until late February.
The former Manchester United centre-back has been struggling with a chronic knee injury, specifically in his knee tendons. He had initially been expected to return to training within a matter of weeks, but that has ultimately not been the case.
In fact, Smalling’s last game in Serie A came in the 2-1 loss against Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on September 1.
According to reports from Il Corriere dello Sport, Smalling has not had surgery on his knee and has no intention of going under the knife, as at 34 years of age, he fears complications that could spell the end of his playing career.
The intention is to work through the injury with rehabilitation, which means that a return to action is not likely to happen before the start of spring.
If that does prove to be the case, Smalling’s total injury lay-off period would be close to six months.