KNEE INJURY ENDS ‘MLILO’S SEASON

MBABANE – Injury-troubled Royal Leopard will have to defend their MTN Premier League title without talismanic midfielder Zweli ‘Mlilo’ Nxumalo as he is set to sit out the rest of the season.

Indication from the scans he has undergone is that he has Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD), a condition that is also referred to as knee ‘pothole’. 
This is a condition that affects the knee, causing pain, and according to information sourced on DrNick.com, late detection, as is the case with the player, can require one to halt all sports-related activity.

The risk is that if it remains untreated for a long time, it may require an operation.
‘Mlilo’ has been carrying this ‘injury’ since last season but soldiered on.
But now, after just six league games, the inspirational 2014 SwaziBank Cup Best Player and a key figure in the national team Sihlangu can no longer endure the strain of playing more games.

He has not been training with his team and is not going to feature for them while he waits to go under the knife in about three months.
He confirmed: “I have managed for some time but the condition is too serious now. The doctors informed me that I have a hole in the knee which is what has been causing me pain when running or walking. I have to be operated on and this will mean I have to also recover. That process will take a long time and I see myself not playing for the rest of the season.” The player is currently at home in Msunduza Township, Mbabane.

Miss

Ultimately, this means that he will miss the 2015 SwaziBank Cup as well as the team’s Orange CAF Champions League campaign set to kick off next year.
He said he was not that much affected as a player because he knew that his team was not dependent on him alone, so they would cope and he was adamant that they would pick up the devastating form they showed at the beginning of the season.

Royal Leopard coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane said losing the services of a key member of his squad will not affect the team much. “This thing is still under control. I trust in all the registered players so we might lose some but it will not affect us much.” 
Also worth noting is that six other players have injury concerns and were due to undergo a late fitness test yesterday ahead of the match against Young Buffaloes today.

Meanwhile Sihlangu coach Harris ‘Madze’ Bulunga said they would wait on Leopard to give them an update with regard to the matter at hand.
“We know he has had this problem for a while such that he is not playing now. We have, however, put him on standby because Leopard told us that he might bounce back, but if not then we will explore other options. It will be unfortunate for us if he is out for the rest of the season, but a severe blow will be suffered by his team.” ‘Mlilo’s’ last game for Leopard was the 1-all draw against Malanti Chiefs, their fourth league game which  was played at Mavuso Sports Centre.

Briefly about OCD:

It is a medical condition which occurs when an area of bone that supports the knee joint surface loses its blood supply becoming “avascular”. This results in death of bone cells that are the normal support structure for the joint surface. It happens usually in younger teenagers and the causes are unknown, but the area of damage can be small and asymptomatic (without symptoms) and even heal spontaneously.

The treatment depends on the size of the lesion and the stage as well as symptoms. Younger patients who are still growing probably have the best chance of healing this problem without surgery. Diagnosis methods can range from observation only (with continued sports and activities), and late detection can lead to indefinite periods out of sports, possible casting or immobilization, and even surgery. (www.drnick.com)

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