Cruciate ligament snapped: Maxwell out for eight months
22 April: The knee injury sustained by Maxwell in
yesterday's Amstel Cup fixture in Tilburg is as bad as it
seemed. Worse, in fact. The Brazilian left-footer had an MRI
scan made at an Amsterdam hospital today. The news was bad: it
appears that he snapped the cruciate ligament of his right
knee. An estimated eight months of convalescence are ahead
for the Ajacied.
Please
take a moment to wish Maxwell a speedy
recovery!
Maxwell sustained the injury in the 42nd minute of Willem II
vs Ajax, yesterday evening in Tilburg. He went after the ball
over the left flank in an attempt to stop it before it trickled
across the Willem II goal-line. Willem II defender Nuelson Wau
came sliding in, Maxwell calmly jumped over his the defender's
leg but came down on the grass badly. He twisted his knee and
immediately started screaming. He had to
be stretchered off. For the record: Wau never touched
Maxwell. It was not a foul, but an accident.
Maxwell has sustained this tragic injury at a very
unfortunate moment, both for himself and for Ajax: the
Brazilian is one of the Ajax players whose contract will expire
in the summer of 2006, which means that this summer will be the
last opportunity for Ajax to sell him. At the end of next
season Maxwell will be able to leave on a free transfer.
Maxwell reportedly turned down an offer from Ajax to
extend his deal by one extra season. It seemed like he was
aiming for a summer transfer.
A major summer move has now become highly unlikely. Which is
not only a personal tragedy for Maxwell, but possibly also a
financial disaster for Ajax. If the player refuses to sign a
new deal, Maxwell may well end up recovering in Amsterdam, play
half a season and walk out of the door for free at season's
end.
Maxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade (born Vila Velha, Brazil,
27 August 1981) was discovered by Ajax scouts in the summer of
2001 at the prestigious annual youth tournament in the
Dutch village of Terborg. Maxwell, 19 years old at the time,
played there with his Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte youth team. He
had never played for the first team yet when he signed a three
year deal at the Amsterdam ArenA on 13 June
2001. He made his official début for Ajax's first
team on 19 August 2001 in the Eredivisie home game against Roda
JC.
Maxwell is currently in his fourth season as an Ajacied. He
played 114 Eredivisie games for Ajax so far (9 goals). He also
saw action in 11 domestic cup games and 31 fixtures
in UEFA competition: 23 in the Champions League, 3 Champions
League qualifiers (1 goal) and 5 in the UEFA Cup (1 goal). In
February 2004 he penned a
new contract at the ArenA, committing to Ajax until
the summer of 2006. His best season was, without any doubt,
2003-2004, in which Maxwell was voted
Player Of The Year in The Netherlands and received his
first ever invitations for the Selecção,
the Brazilian national team. The current season was
disappointing so far, not only for Ajax as a team, but also for
Maxwell as an individual.
In his four season as an Ajacied, Maxwell was almost never
suspended or injured. In Tilburg, around 9:30 PM CET, disaster
struck. His return to action is not expected before the start
of the year 2006.
Maxwell, try keep your chin up. Ajax USA wishes you the
strength to win this battle! (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl
Related links
