It seems like an endless tunnel, the one entered by Perr Schuurs nearly a year and a month ago.
It was 21 October 2023, when the Torino defender left the match, tearful and prematurely, in a game that saw Torino defeated 3-0 by Inter.
The diagnosis, indeed, was among the worst: a cruciate ligament rupture.
This was a devastating blow for someone who was then considered among the Serie A’s top prospects, linked with major clubs in the league such as Juventus, Milan, and even Inter themselves.
Apparently, after the initial operation, things did not go entirely as planned for Schuurs, not with the surgery itself but in the recovery period that followed.
After spending the summer working at Torino’s training centre, sacrificing his holidays, Schuurs found himself having to fly to London.
In the English capital, due to ongoing knee discomfort that lingered well beyond the injury, his battered joint underwent a thorough clean-up, which, thankfully, was successful.
However, barring any unforeseen developments, it seems Schuurs and Torino will not cross paths on the football pitch until at least 2024.
As of now, it appears impossible to estimate a return date for the Nieuwstadt native, as admitted by the club’s president Urbano Cairo after their victory against Como.
What is certain is that Torino and their fans are eagerly waiting for Schuurs, seen as a potential solution to the defensive issues the Piemontese side has shown at the start of this season.
It’s of little consequence that the player’s market value, naturally affected by his lengthy absence, has practically halved, dropping from around 25 million euros to the current 17 million euros, according to Transfermarkt.
The club maintains confidence in Schuurs, and the fans haven’t lost hope.
This is evidenced by the choice of Dr Williams, one of England’s most renowned doctors in the field, to oversee his rehabilitation in the UK, and by the love shown to Schuurs whenever he visits Turin from London.