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Orthopedic surgeon Ramonas Cugatas, who operated on the fractured thigh bone of the fallen attacker, revealed that David Villa actually risked ending up in a wheelchair for life.
According to the doctor, the Catalan team's footballer suffered a complex injury, so serious complications threatened during the journey, the consequences of which could have been sad - Villa could have lost his leg.
In the semi-final of the Club World Cup held in Japan in December last year, Barcelona defeated Doha's Al-Sadd 4-0, but the joy of victory was overshadowed by a serious injury to the forward. While fighting with two opponents, Villa unsuccessfully planted his foot, fell on the turf, and asked for a substitution. Immediate examinations diagnosed a thigh bone fracture for the football player.
The next day, accompanied by Barcelona doctors, Villa flew specially by a chartered plane to the capital of Catalonia. The transportation of the injured player, according to Cugatas, could have had fatal consequences.
"When the plane flies 10-12 thousand meters high, increased pressure acts more strongly on the injured body parts. This can lead to serious complications and the patient even risks losing a limb," said the doctor.
According to Cugatas, at the end of Villa's rehabilitation, Barcelona's head coach Tito Vilanova acted very cautiously and wisely.
"Physical loads were gradually increased without rushing. This required patience, but it is better than forcing events. Now we see the result - the football player is in excellent athletic form," emphasized the head of Barcelona's medical team.
