At 31 years old, a nasty broken leg would more often than not end a player’s career, but Demba Ba so far is in the minority.
Just two days after suffering the gruesome injury after an awkward step, the former Chelsea and Newcastle striker told Radio Monte Carlo from China, “This is a really bad injury but I know I can overcome it. I won’t call time on my career, that’s for sure.”
Ba suffered a fractured tibia during league play while in action for Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League on Sunday. The Senegalese international was in fine form before the injury, scoring a total of eight goals across six straight matches over the course of June and early July, putting him atop the Chinese Super League scoring chart. He took the captain’s armband for a home match against HZ Greentown and proceeded to bag a hat trick.
He said in the interview that he wished to be moved back to Europe before undergoing the required surgery, but after finding out that wasn’t an option, a French surgeon is being flown in to perform the operation.
Ba also referred to an injury earlier in his career, when he broke his leg in late 2006 while playing for Belgian club Mouscron, requiring eight months of recovery.
“There are other players who have returned from similar injuries, like Hatem Ben Arfa,” Ba said. “Something similar happened to me earlier in my career and the treatment options are much better now. I think I’ll make a speedier return this time. The season here ends in November and the new one starts in March. I’ll do my best to return in time for the season after that.”
