WWE Superstar Sami Zayn Reportedly out Injured for 2018 After Shoulder Surgery

WWE star Sami Zayn underwent surgery on his right shoulder after suffering injuries to both of his rotator cuffs, he confirmed to WWE.com's Anthony Benigno on Thursday. 

Zayn added his recovery time could linger all the way until the spring of 2019.

"That’s really not a decision that's up to me," he said of when he might return to the ring. "Because of the timeline, I'd love to be in the mix for WrestleMania season; that’s the most exciting time of the year for all of us. I think timeline wise, I should be ready in time for WrestleMania, so fingers crossed."

This is the second time in Zayn's WWE career a shoulder injury forced him out of action for an extended period of time. He got hurt in his defeat to John Cena on the May 4, 2015, edition of Raw. Following his match with Kevin Owens at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, Zayn missed seventh months before getting back in the ring.

At least when Zayn returned from his first shoulder injury, WWE had a pretty good idea how to use him when he returned. Zayn lost to Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in April 2016 and almost immediately resumed his longstanding feud with Owens.

Now, it's a bit harder to envision where Zayn would fit into WWE's long-term plans.

WrestleMania 35 is nearly 10 months away, so there's plenty of time to figure out a role for Zayn on the show if he's healthy.

But his momentum had largely ground to a halt as a result of his forgettable rivalry with Bobby Lashley that culminated at Money in the Bank last Sunday. Missing almost an entire year would be a massive setback for the former NXT champion.