Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan admits cruciate ligament knee injury in first season left him in a dark place
ILKAY GUNDOGAN has shed light on his dark days after suffering cruciate knee ligament damage.
The German midfield star, 26, was just 15 games into his Manchester City career as Pep Guardiola’s first signing when the injury hit last December.
Ilkay Gundogan admits he was in a dark place after his latest injury setbackPA:Press AssociationGundogan suffered cruciate ligament knee damage just 15 games into his City careerReuters
He had only been fit for three months after suffering a dislocated knee at old club Borussia Dortmund.
And the £20.4million midfielder admits battling a second, more serious injury only seven months after the first, was traumatic.
He told Sport Bild: “There were times after my cruciate injury that I asked, ‘Why me?’
“In the weeks after the injury you are saying, ‘What have I done so wrong to have something like this happen to me again?’ But thinking like that, I realised, gets you nowhere in the end.
“I just had to accept fate wants to put a few more setbacks against me than others.
“In the end, I have not broken my neck.”
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Gundogan had only just recovered from dislocating his knee while at Borussia DortmundGetty ImagesGundogan admits he still isn’t 100 per cent fitGetty Images
Gundogan spent five months in rehab and will fly out to Houston with City tomorrow at the start of their pre-season tour of the US — but he still rates himself only 70 per cent ready.
He added: “With all the injuries I have had in my career I know my body so well now I feel like I could operate on myself!
“So I will not make the mistake of over-doing anything or of wanting to get back too early and doing too much too soon.”
Lyon have pulled out of a deal for City’s unwanted £31.9m French centre-back Eliaquim Mangala.
He now looks likely to join Spanish top-flight new boys Girona, while Roma have shown some interest in City midfielder Samir Nasri.
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