- Mauro Icardi was taken away on a stretcher after suffering an injury to his right knee
- The 31-year-old ex-Inter Milan star is in his third season with the Turkish giants
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Galatasaray striker Mauro Icardi will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL against Tottenham on Thursday evening.
The 31-year-old has been a mainstay in the Turkish champions’ side, who have started the season in blistering form domestically and on the continent.
Icardi has six goals and two assists to his name from fourteen appearances this season and he came into the match against Spurs looking to extend his impressive tally in European competition.
But the Argentinian suffered an injury to his right knee in the 85th minute of the 3-2 victory over Ange Postecoglou’s side. The injury occurred when he tried to close down Spurs keeper Fraser Forster and planted his foot awkwardly. He was taken away on a stretcher.
His club confirmed that he will likely be out for the rest of the season.
Mauro Icardi suffered an injury to his right knee in the closing stages of Galatasaray’s 3-2 win over Tottenham
The 31-year-old had to be taken off the pitch on a stretcher and his club have since confirmed he will face an extended spell on the sidelines.
In a statement, Galatasaray said the 31-year-old “MRI examinations revealed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee and meniscal damage.
“Our player, who requires surgery, started rehabilitation before the operation.”
“I will be out for a few months, with a smile on my face, working hard and coming back better,” he said in a post on Instagram.
Icardi moved to Istanbul on a one-year loan from PSG during the 2022-23 season and completed a permanent transfer the following summer by signing a three-year contract.
The forward was a prolific goalscorer in six seasons at Inter Milan, where he scored 124 goals in 219 games before moving to PSG. He has a very impressive record of 61 goals and 22 assists in 87 appearances for the Turkish giants.
Galatasaray will now be even more reliant on the production of Victor Osimhen, whose services they sensationally secured at the end of the transfer window. The Nigerian bagged a brace in Thursday’s victory over Tottenham, which lifted his side to third place in the Europa League.