Gordon Hayward Says He Will Resume Rehab Soon After Surgery on Ankle Injury

Gordon Hayward's rehab will start up again soon, following his May surgery to remove the plate and screws in his left leg.

In a post on his official website, the Boston Celtics star said the surgery was "not something we were expecting to be a part of this recovery process, but I'm happy to report that I'll be back out there resuming rehab soon, with my sights set firmly on being back to my usual self for the start of next season."

The Celtics announced Hayward needed to undergo the procedure to take out the plate and screws because they were causing irritation to his peroneal tendons, but he was expected to resume basketball activities in six to eight weeks and be back at full strength for training camp. 

Hayward noted in his post that he was keeping an optimistic outlook about having to go under the knife again:

"Honestly, I look it as a good thing more than anything, because when you introduce foreign objects into your body, anything can happen at any time. Sometimes your body rejects it or things happen; you get infections, and it could happen a year or years down the road. So it’s nice to know that I’m done with the plate and screws now, and that is not something I am going to have to worry about in the future."

Hayward was limited to five minutes during the 2017-18 season after fracturing his tibia and dislocating his ankle in the opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics finished second in the Atlantic Division with a 55-27 record before losing to the Cavs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.