Paris (AFP)
Paris SG Handball French international Nikola Karabatic suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Saturday on Day 5 of the Starligue and will be absent for several months, his club announced on Monday.
"Forced to leave on injury during the last match of Lidl Starligue, Saturday in Ivry, Nikola Karabatic carried out additional examinations which revealed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee", explained the PSG in a statement.
"The French international will undergo surgery soon. The duration of his unavailability is estimated at several months," he added, without giving further details.
Karabatic, 36, will therefore not be able to participate in the 2021 World Championship in Egypt with the France team in January.
For such an injury, the average recovery time is six months.
In this case, he would not be available for the Olympic qualifying tournament scheduled for March, during which the Blues, 14th in the last European Championship 2020, will have to try to secure their ticket for the Tokyo Olympics.
The playmaker of the Blues and the PSG, double Olympic champion (2008, 2012), quadruple world champion (2009, 2011, 2015, 2017) and triple European champion (2006, 2010, 2014), was injured during the large victory of his team at Ivry 35 to 25.
In the 16th minute of play, the center-half was thrown off balance in the air after a pass for his Polish pivot Kamil Syprzak and his right knee twisted as it fell.
He came out of the field grimacing, helped by a teammate and a member of staff.
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