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Andy Murray flew back to London today to undergo further testing on his ruptured ankle ligaments – and discover his chances of playing a final time at Wimbledon this summer.The three-time Grand Slam champion revealed on social media he suffered the injury at the Miami Open on Sunday night. The Scot, who had intended to retire this summer, will now seek a specialist diagnosis to learn if he can return to action with rest and physio or he will require surgery.Wimbledon starts on July 1 while the Paris Olympics – his alternative farewell where he could play in the doubles – begins on July 27. The Scot, who will be 37 in May, vowed: “I’ll be back” but he is expected to learn his fate in the next few days after the pain and swelling has subsided.Dr Daniel Fong, Reader in Sports Medicine and Biomechanics at Loughborough University, said: “The time of recovery depends on the treatment, which could be a few months for surgical reconstruction of the ligaments, or a few weeks for conservative treatments such as bracing, taping and exercise.“It really depends on the decision made by the player, the coach and the medics. Some people can do well with strong muscles and proprioception to compensate for the reduced integrity of the ligaments.Many top players have experienced a lot of injuries during their career so this type of ligament injury is quite common for them.“With the ligaments injured or ruptured, the ankle joint might have increased mechanical instability, but this could be compensated by strengthening the muscle-tendon unit so usually conservative treatments will be prescribed unless it failed to help the athlete to regain joint stability.“The surgery itself can be done with minimal invasive arthroscopic surgery, or “keyhole” surgery, with tunnels drilled in the small ankle bones for passing through some grafts.”Dr Timothy Exell, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Portsmouth added: “When things go well, recovery from a complete ATFL (ankle ligament) tear often takes approximately two to three months to get back to full mobility and ankle stability, but this time may increase or decrease depending on the treatment options and how the athlete responds to treatment and physiotherapy. “If an athlete has suffered a complete tear, as Andy has been reported to have, and if they have low ankle stability they may need to undergo reconstructive ligament surgery to tighten the ligaments, which would likely increase recovery time to be longer than three months.”The double Olympic champion has already undergone two hip surgeries, including a hip replacement in 2019. He will be desperate for a quick recovery to his ankle injury as he eyes a special farewell this year.
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