Fulham’s Finnish goalkeeper Antti Niemi has revealed that he has suffered yet another setback in his recovery from his wrist injury.
The ‘keeper has been unable to play a full part in pre-season training after injuring his left wrist towards the end of the last Premier League campaign, which saw Fulham launch a dramatic survival bid that culminated in a final day escape from relegation.
The experienced stopper underwent surgery on the troublesome wrist June, and was initially reported to have been making steady progress.
However, last week the player reported feeling severe discomfort and medical checks showed that further damage had been inflicted, meaning that Niemi will again have to go under the knife in a bid to rid himself of the problem and re-strengthen the muscles.
Niemi’s place as Fulham’s number one is expected to be under severe threat this year following the arrival of Australian Mark Schwarzer on a bosman free transfer from Middlesbrough, and the set-back will come as a major blow to his hopes.
“I’m extremely disappointed that having returned to training, I now have to undergo further surgery,” he told the club’s official website.
“However, I’m confident that I can recover from this set back sooner rather than later. I was looking forward to joining the new players who have been added to the squad, who I think are great additions for Fulham.
“I will now focus on my rehabilitation after surgery and look forward to returning as soon as possible.”
Niemi has been linked with a move away from Craven Cottage to a number of other clubs this summer including Premier League side Blackburn Rovers and a return to Scotland, where he has previously played for both Rangers and Hearts.
