On Wednesday night Rick Karsdorp finally made his Roma debut, a rusty 82 minutes in the Giallorossi's crusty 1-0 win over struggling Crotone. His first steps on the Stadio Olimpico pitch marked the end of a four-month absence following preseason surgery on his right knee, with which he had problems while playing for his former club, and subsequent muscle injuries during his recovery. He was warmly applauded by home fans hopeful that one of sporting director Monchi's most intriguing summer signings might finally pay back some of the â¬14 million spent on him.
It was a decent, if not particularly exciting performance, after which Karsdorp showed little sign of any pain and expressed happiness at having completed his first Roma game. Less than 48 hours later, and on the eve of their home clash with Bologna, he's undergone surgery on his left knee, the victim of Roma's 12th torn anterior cruciate ligament in less than two years. As well as lamenting the loss of such a promising player, fans are now beginning to wonder how on earth so many ACL tears can happen in such a short period of time.
Thanks for all your support! Last night my dream turned into a nightmare, but I will work very hard to come back stronger!