Fortounis out for six months with devastating ACL injury



In devastating news for Olympiacos, the Greek national team and naturally the player himself, Kostas Fortounis has been sidelined for the next six months with the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament injury.

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Yesterday, Olympiacos played Hamburg in the final friendly match at their training camp in Austria, with Fortounis being substituted in the second half with a knock to his right knee. Initially, the Olympiacos medical staff didn’t think the injury was anything serious, but they began to worry when the swelling around Fortounis’ knee did not subside.

Nova Sports released a video of the moment when Fortounis suffered the injury.

As a consequence, Fortounis was immediately sent for hospital tests upon the team’s return to Athens, with the results confirming the worst. Fortounis has received the anterior cruciate ligament injury and will spend the next six months recovering.

Fortounis will not be available for the remaining UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers with the Greek national team. Greece currently reside in fourth place of Group J after four rounds.

In the coming weeks, Olympiacos are due to play Viktoria Plzen in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, and Fortounis’ injury has delivered a large blow to the Erythrolefki’s hopes of returning to the coveted group stages. Fortounis will miss all matches in the group phase if Olympiacos qualify.

The 26-year-old attacking midfielder had recently extended his Olympiacos contract through to the summer of 2023. In the 2018/2019 season, Fortounis was in superb form for Olympiacos, registering 17 goals and 16 assists. He will undergo surgery for the injury.