Zlatan Ibrahimovic out until 2023 after undergoing knee surgery

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 25 May 2022

AC Milan reveal that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be on the sidelines for "between seven and eight months" after undergoing a knee operation.

AC Milan have revealed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be on the sidelines for "between seven and eight months" after undergoing major knee surgery.

The 40-year-old scored eight goals and registered three assists in 27 appearances at club level during the 2021-22 campaign, helping Milan win their first Serie A title since 2011.

Ibrahimovic's contract at San Siro is due to expire at the end of June, though, and there is currently widespread uncertainty surrounding his future.

There have been suggestions that the Swede could announce his retirement from the sport, as he will not be able to return from his latest operation until at least the middle of the 2022-23 campaign.

In an official statement, Milan revealed that the operation "had been planned for a while" due to the damage in his knee caused by a previous anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Liverpool's Nathaniel Phillips in action with AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, December 7, 2021 © Reuters

"AC Milan announces that Zlatan Ibrahimovic underwent an operation on his left knee carried out by D Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet, with the club's medical director Stefano Mazzoni in attendance, at the Hopital Jean Mermoz in Lyon," said the Italian giants.

"The arthroscopy had been planned for a while to definitively resolve the joint's instability through the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, with lateral reinforcement and meniscus reparation.

"The operation was a complete success and the prognosis is estimated between seven and eight months."

Earlier this season, Ibrahimovic told Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa that he was planning to stay with Milan for the rest of his career.

"I want to play as long as possible. As long as I have that adrenaline, I will continue. Let's put pressure on Milan here to give me an extension and I hope to stay at Milan for life. I still have objectives that I can achieve and I want to win another Scudetto," said the experienced forward.

"I don't know what will happen after football, so I am a little scared to stop. We'll see, but I want to continue playing so that I don't have any regrets."

AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates scoring their fourth goal with teammates on October 23, 2021 © Reuters

Ibrahimovic's professional career started at Malmo in 1999, and he has since represented Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 121-time Sweden international has enjoyed huge success in his career in terms of trophies, and he was also part of the Milan side that won the Serie A title in 2011 before helping the club triumph again 11 years later.

At club level, he has scored over 500 goals, in addition to registering 62 times for his country during an international career that started 21 years ago.

Ibrahimovic, who also struggled with an Achilles problem during the 2021-22 campaign, found the back of the net on eight occasions in Serie A this term, in addition to providing three assists.

The experienced striker also had major knee surgery back in 2017 during his time at Man United but said at the time that "giving up was not an option".