Goalkeeper of Kyiv «Dynamo» Denys Boyko, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and underwent surgery on October 9 in a match against Rukh, talked about his health, future recovery and the team's latest results.
Denis Boyko (photo: fcdynamo.kiev.ua)— Denis, is this the first such serious injury in your career?
— I also had a difficult back injury when I was operated on in Munich, and it took 2-3 months to recover. But this one is probably really the hardest.
— Thinking back to the episode where she got it, could it have been done differently to avoid serious consequences?
- Now you can say anything you want about this. Of course, it was possible. If I had known that I would be injured after landing, of course I would have played differently. There were many options: it was possible to put the ball over the crossbar and earn a corner. I tried to catch the ball to save it for the team, and I managed to do it, but unfortunately I got injured in that episode. We have what we have now, we need to move on, gain strength and recover. Take two steps back to take three steps forward.
— How did you manage to come out with such an injury for the second half?
- I immediately felt a small but characteristic crunch in my knee and realized that something had happened there. Of course, I tried not to think about the bad, but only about the positive, that it was probably just a bruise, and the knee survived. During the break, I spoke with the doctors and Lucescu and agreed that if my health worsens, I will immediately ask for a replacement so as not to harm the team. During the break I felt more or less normal. When the MRI was done after the match, she confirmed that I didn't have a complete tear, just a tear. Everything else was intact and in place, but even with the laceration, such an injury would only require surgery and replacement of the cruciate ligament.
Yes, I came out for the second half, but when the knee began to swell, I asked to be substituted. In principle, he could have continued to play, but since the score was only 1:0 in our favor, he did not risk the team result. Because if I couldn't help the guys at some point, it could have affected the result.
— How was the surgery?
— Good, smooth, the doctors are satisfied, now I am in primary rehabilitation. Rehabilitation specialists also say that everything is going well. Looking at my knee, they are happy with how the recovery is going.
— What are your next steps? When will the full recovery period begin?
— The full recovery period will probably begin in 2-3 weeks. The first stage will take place in Barcelona, where I was operated on, under the supervision of the doctor who operated on me, as well as local physiotherapists and rehabilitators. And after the stitches are removed, I will begin a full recovery and rehabilitation phase. All this will take six months. Doctors differ in their opinions, calling the term from five to seven months. It is possible to recover in three months, but the connection must grow, and this is a physiological process that, according to specialists, requires at least six months.
— "Dynamo" is currently in a difficult period, the results are not encouraging. What would you like to say to the fans who continue to support the team?
— To the real fans, not those who turn away from the team in difficult times or shout "Shame!", I want to say that our recent results are really not pleasing. And, as is known, the result in football is the main thing. In fact, it is very difficult for everyone right now. First of all, we want every fan who loves this team and believes in it to continue to support us and understand that we don't have football players who don't care, who go out on the football field and only play a number or work off their salary.
All the guys are really worried, they don't care, everyone who is currently in our team doesn't care, we are all worried about the results, about what is happening now with Dynamo. Yes, the period is very difficult and difficult, but it must be survived, first of all, mentally and psychologically, both individually and as a team, as a whole.
We have to cope with the help of our fans and reach the level that everyone expects from us, which the team showed in previous seasons. It takes time. It is necessary to believe not only in the football players, in the team, but also in the head coach and the coaching staff, because it is also very difficult for them. Believe me, both Lucescu and his assistants are doing everything they can to get the team out of this state, prepare as best as possible for each next game, fix everything and get on the winning path.
