At last, Diego Costa will look to resolve discomfort in his foot by going under the knife.
The imminent operation, which some wanted to delay until the end of the season, will keep him out for three months.
It comes only days after playing through the pain against Girona and forcing an equaliser through an own goal, though it also confirmed that he could not continue any longer.
On Monday evening, he took a plane alongside Atletico doctor Oscar Celada to Brazil to be operated on by Rodrigo Lasmar on Wednesday.
Lasmar is the Brazilian medical teams' chief doctor and operated on Costa 12 years ago, implanting a screw into his fifth metatarsal which is causing his current discomfort.
A solution has finally been found, though it does pose a problem for coach Diego Simeone who will be without one of his first choice forwards until March.
Normally, the injury would take eight weeks to recover from, but the fact that it is a reccurrence of a previous problem means that it could be longer, even up to four months in a worst case scenario.
Atletico will be without Costa for 12 LaLiga Santander games, up against Alaves, Real Valladolid, Espanyol, Sevilla, Levante, Huesca, Getafe, Real Betis, Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Villarreal and Real Sociedad.
He will also miss all of the knock-out stages of the Copa del Rey, other than a potential final, and also both legs of the last 16 of the Champions League.
It could be as many as 20 games out for the strikers according to the most optimistic of forecast, and it could go on for even longer.
Chakse
3
What? Fast recovery the beast
Bladislav
1
Another three months? Well, at least this time we will play with 11
yummyy
0
Better, it takes time without being in form but it seems that it is forced that it is titular. Let's see if we can have front starters in top form for a few months and secure the top positions in the league. This is a favorable season for Atlético to become champion while Barça and Madrid continue with the step changed ... I do not think it will take them to recover the pace.
headache
1
It's what I'll never understand ... He's been upset all season, forcing and deciding to go to the operating room at this stage of the season ... the result is just a goal in what we've been in the league ... with how easy it would be been going from the beginning and stop fooling and would be almost ready and be ready for the new year ... now appear in a few months and another time to take shape and practically a season thrown in the bud ...
fangchang
1
Low very important. Miss you . Coast And for the Vikings who bark for aki. Speaking of coast. I guess you think Mariano or vinicius are better
operations
0
To recover. By the way, will the Prince have recorded an alternative end of the video-chorra? It gives me that the winter is going to be very long.
Austinbob
0
Atleti is uphill for the season, if on average it scores 1 per game practically ...
Geeraffery
0
Atléticos, I'm a Madridista but I think you could sign Stuani. 2 full seasons while Costa returns and gets ready, knowing it is not just a short time.
Halloween
0
It's the best, what luck has both atleti and brsa d have two 9 with a courage and that they leave the soul for the team of 10, while we have not known that is that since van nistelrooy, now we only have a crminl and chantjista done of horchata and charging 10m
priscillaa
0
Because not opportunity to the quarry, Borja, Joaquín etcetera
holidayer
0
It started being 1 month. Then 2. We go for 3 and maybe 4. At this rate you lose the whole season and the next. It costs so much to give a contrasted news and not be rectifying the information every day?
holidayer
0
Force, Diego! You're back right now.
Zackvsco
0
What a shame this guy is if he's a fighter
minicar
0
We can already be signing a forward in winter, but a real striker is not a joke like the one that is kalinic for example