Antonio Valencia has undergone a successful operation on his badly broken ankle, but will miss 'a good portion of the season'.

United winger starts out on the long road to recovery

Determined

Antonio Valencia has undergone a successful operation on his ankle, but will miss 'a good portion of the season'. The Manchester United winger sustained an horrific injury while on UEFA Champions League duty against Rangers on Tuesday. It was immediately clear that he would be sidelined for a prolonged period of time, with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitting that he expected the Ecuador international to miss the remainder of the 2010/11 campaign. United have confirmed that Valencia has suffered 'significant ligament damage' but are confident surgery has now put him on the road to recovery. It is difficult to tell at this stage how long the 25-year-old will be sidelined for, but a return by the end of the season has not been completely ruled out. Having fractured and dislocated his left ankle he faces a lengthy period of rehabilitation, but United claim the player is in good spirits and is looking forward to getting back out on the field as soon as possible."The operation went well," a club spokesperson told United's. "A plate has been inserted to stabilise the fracture but there is obvious significant ligament damage that follows a dislocation and he will be out for a good portion of the season." Quotes attributed to Ecuador national team doctor Patricio Maldonado were released on Wednesday, with the South American medic claiming Valencia could be back inside five to six months. It was also suggested that Valencia would require psychological counseling to help him through a traumatic time. United, though, insist they have had no contact with the Ecuadorians and are adamant that Valencia remains in a 'positive' mood. "Contrary to recent reports there has been no official contact from the Ecuadorian national team. Antonio is perfectly fine, very positive and very determined," added the club's spokesperson.