Stopped since his retirement from injury in the quarter-finals of the Wales Open on Friday December 2, Arnaud Merklé (Red Star Mulhouse) will not return to the field anytime soon. The 2021 French singles champion was operated on at the start of the week and will now observe a long recovery.
On December 10 in Mulhouse, during the Top 12 derby between his club and ASPTT Strasbourg, the 2018 European junior champion, returned that day to the condition of a simple spectator, said he was pessimistic about his chances of winning. avoid surgery. “I suffer from a hip impingement on the right side. In fact, an onset of osteoarthritis. My ankle problem in Wales is the consequence. The tibia has moved and I feel pain at the posterior junction. »
The surgeon following him finally decided to operate on him. “Operation validated. Everything went well “, indicates the 22-year-old Mulhousien, 36e world since Tuesday, the best ranking of his young career, “I will now rest and follow the care protocol thoroughly to return to 150% in the race for Olympic qualification. The duration of my unavailability? Four to six months no doubt, three perhaps, being very optimistic. We will adapt week after week, month after month. I hope to be back in April. »
