"I'll take it like another game, another battle to win. I'm not happy about it, but one needs to look forward. I've won a lot of games, I'll win this one too."
- Rino Gattuso at Malpensa Airport this morning, on the way to Belgium for exam and possible surgery

Gattuso: I'll Be Back For The UEFA Cup Final
Ringhio is expected to stay on the sidelines for at least six months, but hopes he will return in time to take part in the UEFA Cup final.

Milan were dealt a huge blow earlier this week, as it was confirmed that Gennaro Gattuso will need to go under the knife after damaging his right knee ligaments during the match with Catania last Sunday.

He will then undergo a lengthy course of rehabilitation and is unlikely to feature again this term, but Braveheart has not given up hope.

“They must give me a present, I want them to achieve Champions League qualification and also get to the UEFA Cup final,” he told Sky Sport 24. “Who knows? Maybe, I will be there. It’s my dream…”

The Calabrian picked up the injury at the beginning of the encounter with the Etnei, as he challenged Marco Biagianti.

“Unfortunately, my cruciate ligament snapped,” he sighed, “and I will need surgery, which will take place on December 19.

“It just happened and I will have to live with it. The main problem is that I don’t know if I will be able to stay out for such a long time, because I have never experienced something like this in my career.

“But injuries are part and parcel of this sport, I was lucky enough to escape them in the past, but now that I was about to turn 31, I got crocked!”

Vince Masiello, Goal.com

Why?? I don't get that comment kurtiepoo... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

STRONGER THAN BEFORE
12/11/2008 5:06:00 PM
Today Gattuso spoke exclusively to Milan Channel of his state of mind: 'Now I have to fight, the most difficult thing is managing to stay put, but I have to do it to come back stronger than before.'

MILANELLO - Here are the declarations made to Milan Channel's microphones by Rino Gattuso, today at the Milanello sporting center:

Rino, how are you?
"Let's say I could be doing better. Throughout my career I had never taken into consideration the possibility that my knee would fail or that I would ever have an injury that would have made me stay off the pitch for so long. But since I arrived at Milanello this morning, I feel better - Rino continued smiling - Today my team mates made me feel good. I don't feel like I have a torn ligament, if in two or three days the liquid goes away, I might try to run. Also talking with Professor Martens, he told me that with the structure of my knee I could play, but since there are still four-five years before the end of my career, it's more right that it's operated.
I got my last knock in the match against Catania, the problem I had Sunday with my knee was not because of Sunday's match, I had been suffering from it for a while.
When I hurt myself on Sunday I immediately thought I had broken something, but then I came back and managed to stay on the pitch, and I thought I had escaped again. It's been two years that my knee has bothered me, but it's never happened that I had to stay out for such a long time."

Now you've explained how you are doing physically, can you tell us how you are feeling inside?
"I am aware of the fact I have to fight now, the most difficult thing is having to stay put, but I have to do it to come back stronger than before."

You've also received an encouragement from Marcello Lippi...
"My relationship with Lippi goes beyond the normal relationship between a national team coach and a player. He's always been a coach with whom I've had a relationship of great friendship and esteem."

Sunday there's Juventus-Milan...
"I will follow the match because I want to be close to and encourage my team mates. Who knows me knows I am a spontaneous person and that I transmit what I think. Against Juve it will be a difficult match, they are a tough team who never give up, with a great temperament and we will have to put them in difficulty with our class, we will have to be careful for the full 90 minutes."

How do you see this league season?
"In our season there are two injust results, the one in Lecce and the one in Turin. Especially in Lecce we gave away the match because after creating many chances we were unable to close it earlier.
Milan are a tough team and they have shown it on many occasions when they hung on to a 1-0 lead and brought home the result. Aside from the match against Catania, in the last few games we lacked a bit of physical strength, we know we always have to run. Inter remains the team to beat. They are able to take home the result also when they don't play well because on a physical level they are the best team there is. Our task is to play the games with the mentality of the team that must not concede goals."

Gennaro Gattuso amazed the medical community again after his knee surgery. “We had to change the scalpel, as he has very hard bones!”

The Milan and Italy man recovered in record time from multiple fractures to his wrist earlier this season and hopes he can also cut the expected six-month spell on the sidelines for ligament damage.


“The surgeon took the tendon, an incomplete part, and made a tunnel to put the ligament through. It will take six months for this to form a strong cruciate ligament,” said Krystel De Reycke.


The assistant to Professor Marc Martens – who also operated on Ronaldo and other top stars – revealed a surprising moment during the surgery.


“During the operation we had to change the scalpel, as Gattuso has very hard bones. He is extraordinary! This has never happened before.”


It was not the only physical anomaly they discovered, as the World Cup winner was able to play for 86 minutes after he had torn knee ligaments in the 1-0 win over Catania.


“He has some very large muscles that allowed him to do that,” the assistant told Sky Italia television.


“Now he will wear a protective cast for a month and that will give him normal mobility without limits. He’ll then walk with crutches for 10 days.


“Another protective device is needed up for another month, but after four months he can start running again.”

I don't think Gattuso is that good personally, so for him to be one of our best players doesn't say much about how the rest of the squad are performing. Kaka', Pirlo, Pato, etc. have been playing well below their capability.