Bojan Krkic Injury: Updates on Stoke Star's Knee and Return

Stoke City midfielder Bojan Krkic is out indefinitely after injuring a knee ligament on Jan. 26. The Spaniard has undergone successful surgery on the knee. 

Continue for updates.

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Bojan Undergoes Successful Surgery

Friday, Feb. 13

Sky Sports reported that Bojan underwent successful surgery on his injured knee:  

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Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has confirmed Bojan Krkic has left hospital in Spain after a successful knee surgery.

The Spanish playmaker has undergone an operation in Barcelona on the cruciate injury he suffered against Rochdale in the FA Cup fourth round.

Hughes was pleased to learn that the injury was not as bad as initially feared but will still be without Bojan until the summer at the earliest.

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Bojan Boost for Stoke

Monday, Feb. 2

Adam Crafton of the MailOnline has a significant update on Bojan's knee injury, reporting:

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Hughes Comments on Bojan Injury

Friday, Jan. 30

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes discussed Bojan's injury on Friday, according to the team's official Twitter feed:

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Bojan Tears Knee Ligaments

Tuesday, Jan. 27 

Stoke City have suffered a major blow to their campaign after it was revealed star player Bojan Krkic sustained a serious knee injury. The team announced the news on Tuesday: 

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STOKE CITY can confirm Bojan will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a knee ligament injury in last night's FA Cup win over Rochdale.

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Scans have revealed he suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his left knee and will have to undergo surgery.

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Manager Mark Hughes commented on the injury, according to the announcement:

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Manager Mark Hughes said: "It's bitterly disappointing for the Club but even more so for Bojan himself as he was making such a big impact on the Premier League and clearly enjoying his football. We wish him a speedy recovery."

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Bojan later tweeted his reaction to the setback:

Adam Crafton of the Mail Online reported the player spent Monday night in a hospital and was informed of the bad news on Tuesday afternoon.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

The journalist added Bojan and his family are said to be "devastated" about the injury after the player's successful start to life in the Premier League.

Elliott Bretland of the Mail Online had reported on Monday that the player was spotted leaving Rochdale's Spotland stadium on crutches, according to BT Sport's Ian Darke. 

Sports journalist Danny McKeown highlighted that the Spaniard will be a huge miss for the Potters. The Daily Mail's Charlie Skillen also spoke out about the player's rotten luck: 

Bojan had given Stoke the lead in the FA Cup match, setting his team on the path to a very comfortable victory. 

The player received treatment on the field of play but was able to walk off the pitch with little assistance.

But manager Mark Hughes immediately spoke about his fears for Krkic after the match, and it seems his worries have been proved correct, as reported by ESPN FC: "There is a concern there for us. We don't know how bad it is. He has gone back home and we will check him in the morning. He is due for a scan so hopefully he will be OK. Hopefully if the scan is clear he will be okay and it is just a short-term thing but at the moment it's a concern for us."

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Bojan has received many plaudits since his surprise move to Stoke, and he has brought a more cultured element to Hughes' team.

The attacking midfielder has scored five times for his new club in his 17 matches in the league and the FA Cup, and his manager will certainly feel his loss in the second half of the season.

The 24-year-old had a torrid time in his final months at the Catalan superclub, and Hughes has rightfully been delighted with how the boy has transferred his skills to English football.

The Welsh coach praised his star after his goal against Stoke, per ESPN FC, but he said his injury now means others have to increase their personal performance levels: "It was an outstanding goal. He showed his qualities once again and it will be disappointing if we lose him for any length of time, but if you do others have to step up to the mark."

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Bojan has proved many people wrong in his short time in England, and even though the comparisons to Lionel Messi have been exaggerated in the past, he still has the potential to be one of the best players in the league.

Recovering from such a knee injury is clearly not straightforward, and his long-term development may now be compromised, with much of the player's game revolving around movement and agility.

But Bojan will have the support of his team-mates and supporters in such hard times, and his best days in a Stoke shirt may yet be still to come.