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Andre Gomes' season is over but the Everton midfielder could be back in action by the start of next campaign if all goes well in his recovery, a leading orthopaedic surgeon has said.
Gomes suffered a fracture dislocation when he fell badly following a challenge from Tottenham's Son Heung-min, who was sent off in tears during Sunday's 1-1 draw.
Gomes was due to have surgery on Monday before beginning a lengthy rehabilitation process, but Andrew Goldberg, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at The Wellington Hospital, part of HCA UK, said a best-case scenario would see the Portugal international return to training in six months.
"I think usually it would take around six months to recover from this type of injury," Goldberg told the PA media agency.
"It's impossible to predict precisely because it depends on so many factors – whether or not the blood flow has been impinged to any of the bones, what the configuration of the fracture is, which bones have been injured, and his healing capacity.
"Obviously with a Premier League footballer you're optimising the rehabilitation process and elite athletes have the best chance, but you can't alter the other three factors.
"Six month I think would be the best-case scenario but it could take up to a year."
Goldberg warned, however, that given the seriousness of the injury, there is a risk of a long-term impact for the 26-year-old.
"This is a really serious injury and there are a lot of things that could impede recovery," he said. "You have to go in with optimism. With any injury there is a risk that it might be too severe and he might never get back, but that risk is always there.
"It was a serious injury but if the blood supply wasn't too severely damaged, if the ligaments heal back again and his rehab goes to plan, it will take six months to a year."
The injury to Gomes visibly upset players from both sides, who could see the pain etched on his face as his foot hung at angle.
"It's a freak injury," Goldberg said. "To see the foot facing the wrong way, for someone who has not seen it before, it's the scariest thing you can see, but as orthopaedic surgeons we see them all the time and our job is to put people back together again.
"This injury didn't happen in the tackle. The tackle put him off-balance, then he took one or two steps, and the injury typically happens when you land awkwardly on a flexed foot and your whole bodyweight goes through the ligaments and bones of the foot.
"It was a freak injury and it's bad luck when it happens. I don't think Son can be blamed. The whole thing has been a bit disastrous for him as well."
