[translated by MANUELA]
MILANO - There is the uncertainty Redondo, who should arrive at the middle of January. If not ready, at least recovered. Then, Maldini. And finally him, Filippo Inzaghi: Christmas and New Year with support and crutches. Operated on 5 December by Dr. Andrea Campi, doctor of Lazio, Superpippo seems destined to come back on field as least, among current injured players: end of March, middle of the month if everything goes well. Just in time for World Cup. "On my calendar there’s no date marked in red: for the moment I must keep to the prognosis made by my doctor and by the club, 3-4 months. At the end of January we’ll take stock of the situation again." It’s necessary to proceed slowly: this first phase is the most boring and just because of this reason it’s also the longest. "It’s needed much patience, a big trouble for a person like me who has really little of it," admits the forward, stroking his left knee, protected by the support. "The wound must heal well, sooner it can be forced and so also we physiotherapy in this phase is quite limited: 3 exercises that till I have been in Milanello I have done with Giorgio Puricelli and that no, on holiday, I do by myself."
Normally,
without injury and with the sound knee, maybe now he would be at Maldive with
his friend BoboGol and Christian Brocchi. To look after him, in San Nicolò,
there’s instead his mum Marina, attentive as always. "I’m spending these days with my
family: the injury has been really a trouble, but now I’m obliged to think
about future."
He has thought about the past, about that damn impact with Lupatelli, many
times: he has watched it on TV, lived through it again from every angle, also
that one of the goalkeeper.
"It
was a crash of game: violent, but fortuitous. Lupatelli was courageous, I was so
too: unfortunately, I injured. I understood immediately there was something
serious: we tried, but I couldn’t stand."
The picture of Superpippo who leaves the field
supported by two masseurs has gone around the world, as from the whole world
it’s arrived in Via Turati and Milanello, if not directly in San Nicolò,
proves of love of many fans not only of Milan. "To
be injured is a bad thing: the love of many fans is helping me in the wait.
It’s sure it’s needed still some time before I can come back to play." Next step, at the beginning of January:
the 4th day should be the fair one to throw away the support. Then,
it will be the time to throw away the crutches. "And that will be the most beautiful moment, the best
gift for the New Year,"
Inzaghi underlines. On the calendar there’s obviously also a check-up in Rome,
a chance to see his brother and his little nephew, "a wonderful child".
Championship
goes on, Milan has some troubles but it keeps on fighting: red&black will
need a good second half of the season to win scudetto. Seeing it today, the
placings seems to condemn the dreams, but spring can bring new goals of
Superpippo and music and hopes would be different, refreshed and reinforced.
"To watch from the stands a match like
that one of last Sunday is the worst thing for a football player. You’re
there, near your team, you understand your playmates are in difficulty and you
can’t do anything to help them. Fortunately at the end it arrived Contra’s
goal, otherwise Christmas would have been more terrible".
TUTTOSPORT
29 DECEMBER 2001
