Matt Crooks has confirmed he did not undergo surgery on the shoulder injury that plagued him throughout last season, in a bid to give himself the best shot of starting the Premier League season.
Crooks tore part of the ligament in his shoulder when he slipped inside the box during the win over Leicester City early last season, when Liam Millar crashed in the opening goal.
It was expected that the influential playmaker would require surgery, but that was initially delayed until the end of the season, with Crooks playing on and just dealing with the discomfort.
Now the 32-year-old has revealed how he’s opted against surgery this summer to give himself the best chance of being fit to start the new Premier League season with the Tigers, knowing going under the knife could have seen him sidelined for around four months.
All the time he can continue to manage the discomfort, the City ace says he’ll crack on in the hope of avoiding any lengthy absence from Sergej Jakirovic’s squad.
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“It’s alright, I can’t swim anymore,” Crooks told Hull Live in his typically humorous manner. “I tried swimming in the summer, my breaststroke game’s gone, so I can’t do that.
“It’s basically stuck down to my chest. It’s not actually attached to anything, so it’s weird. Certain movements I don’t have any power into it.”
Crooks says he met the specialist after the Wembley triumph, and the Las Vegas antics had concluded, and it was decided to hold off, as long as he could continue playing.
“No, I could have (had surgery),” he continued. “We spoke to the specialist towards the end of the season. We got it scanned again, and all the scar tissue has pressed it down into my chest. He (the specialist) says he can get it operated on, but it’s like three or four months (out).
“I want to give myself the best chance to play in the first game of the season and give myself the best chance for the rest of the season. I thought I played three quarters of a season with it last season, so I’ll do it again for this year.”
“Only in certain things (can only feel it). It’s not a weird pain, it’s not painful now, it’s more like a tugging sensation sometimes when I get in certain positions or from pushing off (the ground), but most of the time it’s alright. I just try and keep my strength up and just get on with it.”
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