Image credit: Getty Europe
Buried in the avalanche of the week’s transfer activity (or, more accurately, near-activity) was the news that Arouna Kone would be among those not making the trip to Thailand. Along with Seamus Coleman and Bryan Oviedo, Roberto Martinez has determined it is best for Kone to remain at Finch Farm to continue work towards full fitness. The update is as baffling as it is unsettling.
When we last saw Kone, he suffered a knee injury as a substitute against Hull on October 19th. Here’s the timeline of information since then:
November 6th: It’s announced that Kone sustained cartilage damage and needed surgery to clean up the injury.
"“We had to send him for a surgery and we need to see how long exactly he’ll be out but it’ll be a while. I would say the worst fears were confirmed and he had some loose cartilage in his knee. We’ll know in the next 48 hours.”"
February 8th: Martinez says he expects both Kone and Darron Gibson to feature before the end of the season.
"“I expect him to be involved before the season ends, which is a tremendous credit to the medical department as well.”"
February 23rd: Martinez hopes Gibson and Kone can get a runout on the final day of the season.
"“From a medical point of view we shouldn’t really expect either to be back before the end of the season. But to maybe have them back for the Manchester City game would end what has been a disappointing season for them both personally on a high note.”"
June 4th: After not returning to game action, Kone announces he is dedicating his summer to preparation for the upcoming season.
"“I have decided not to go on a big holiday, I am staying in Europe to work hard over the summer period, so I can hit the ground running when pre-season starts in July.”"
July 7th: Kone tells fans he’s going to prove his worth.
"“It’s going to mean an awful lot to me to wear that shirt next season because I’ve not yet written any history, I’ve not made my mark on Everton or created my own chapter of the story that is this Club.”"
July 23rd: Blues embark on preseason tour in Thailand; Kone stays behind.
It’s difficult to know where to begin, so we’ll start with the injury itself, which, assuming Martinez did not fib, was said to be a cartilage problem. The recovery time for such an injury, depending on severity, is between 2-6 months, a timetable that fits in reasonably well with the updates we received through February. If Kone’s surgery was more invasive, his return date would’ve been sometime around the Manchester City match on May 3rd.
How, then, is Kone still not ready to go three months past that very late date? Recovery should not be a slow process for a high-level athlete near his physical prime.
Possibility one is that the injury was far more extensive then the club let on. Ligament injuries take longer to heal than cartilage and meniscus issues. Still, it doesn’t account for the misleading updates in February proclaiming Kone might be fit before the end of the season.
Possibility two is Kone suffered a setback at some point in his rehab. This could account for why there were no substantial updates after February.
Possibility three is that the club are being overly cautious and Kone is already on the team sheet for one of the two friendlies during the first week of August.
All three scenarios aren’t fantastic, although the last is probably the lesser evil. Possibilities one and two mean Kone’s fitness could be an issue not only when August 16th rolls around, but for a good portion of the season. Possibility three is still worrying because nine months is a long time for a professional athlete to rehab a cartilage injury.
Whether you rate Kone or not, he remains the lone striker in the squad until Martinez recruits more. Naismith and Mirallas can play up top, but both are better fits playing in a two striker formation. Even if Martinez secures Romelu Lukaku’s services, Kone would expect to play a big role in the upcoming campaign.
Only time will reveal whether he is fit enough to do so.