Champions League: Galatasaray’s Noa Lang undergoes surgery after thumb injury vs Liverpool
Liverpool, March 19 (IANS) Galatasaray winger Noa Lang provided a reassuring update after undergoing successful surgery on his injured thumb, following a painful incident during the Champions League round of 16 encounter against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old Netherlands player sustained the injury in the 76th minute after crashing into the advertising hoardings while chasing the ball. Lang immediately went down in visible pain, clutching his right hand after noticing a deep cut to his thumb.
Players from Liverpool, including Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, rushed to check on him as medical staff attended to the winger. Lang, who appeared to be in severe discomfort, was given oxygen before being stretchered off the pitch.
Following the surgery, Lang shared an update on social media, confirming the operation had gone smoothly. “Surgery went well. Thanks for all the messages,” he posted.
Earlier, he had shared a photo from the hospital, lying in bed at Whiston Hospital while still wearing his Galatasaray jersey.
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk described the incident as a ‘bad injury’ after the match, which Liverpool won 4-1 on aggregate to progress to the quarter-finals.
The Turkish club also provided an update on Victor Osimhen, who suffered a fracture in his right forearm during the first half following a challenge with Ibrahima Konate. Despite the injury, the Nigerian forward continued playing until half-time before being substituted.
“Following the match, a check-up at the hospital under the supervision of our medical team revealed that our player had a fracture in his right forearm, and a cast was applied,” the club said in its official release.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray have been eliminated after the loss, while the six-time champions Liverpool will face the 2025 winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, whose first leg will be played at Parc des Princes in Paris on April 9, while the second leg will happen on April 15 at Anfield in Liverpool.
–IANS
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