Decision on Yogeshwar`s return to action in 3-4 weeks: Doctor

New Delhi: The doctor treating Yogeshwar Dutt`s recurring knee problem today said that the Olympic medallist wrestler was recovering from his injury and the timing of his return to action would be decided later in the month.

The 30-year-old wrestler, who suffered a MCL (medial collateral ligament) tear in his right knee in July, was forced out of the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary but would be flying off to join the team for a coaching camp ahead of the marquee event from September 16-22. "Yogeshwar`s right knee has suffered an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and MCL tear before and were operated. He recently suffered an MCL tear again. We were contemplating a surgery for it. But last week, we found that the injury has considerably healed so we decided against it," said Dinshaw Pardiwala, who is the head of Centre for Sports Medicine at Mumbai`s Kokilaben Hospital. "When he visited here in July after aggravating the injury he was having pain on his knee. He was advised to continue with his strength training and not put any pressure on the strained knee," Pardiwala told PTI from Mumbai. Yogeshwar underwent physical tests to check the strength regained by the muscle and the results were positive. "During his visit last week, the pain on his knee had entirely gone. He didn`t have any problem doing functional training here. Lot of provocative tests were done to check the level of stress the knee could bear and he was pretty comfortable in performing those exercises," the doctor said. Going in for a surgery would have forced Yogeshwar, who has not participated in any competition since the London Olympics in August last year, out of action for at least six months and could have also jeopardise his career, considering that his right knee has been operated twice before. Asked when the star wrestler would make a return to the arena, Pardiwala said the 60-kg wrestler need to focus on rehabilitation. "We don`t want to rush him. He has to continue the rehab exercises. He is expected to visit the hospital again in three to four weeks time only then can anything be said about his return to competitive bouts," he said. PTI