Last Sunday, with the afternoon sun shining lightly, Gu Chao ended a journey across the island, returning to Hangzhou from Haikou. A match with the U19
national soccer team
In the warm-up match, Gu Chao unfortunately suffered a fracture of his ring finger, which forced him to step onto the operating table at Zhejiang No. 2 Hospital this week. His recovery period is expected to last six to eight weeks, making it highly likely that Zhao Bo will replace him as the starting goalkeeper.
Turning back the clock to last Thursday, Zhejiang has departed for Haikou to prepare for the new Chinese Super League season. Late Friday afternoon, a match against U19
national soccer team
The warm-up match unfolded as expected. The game was played in the 10th minute of the second half when U19
national soccer team
The shot hit the crossbar, Gu Chao in the save, finger accidentally pressed by the ball on the crossbar. He recalled: "The force was so great that my fingers were numb for a while, and when I landed on the ground, my ring finger was hanging down, I thought it was dislocated, and I hastily signaled that I couldn't continue the game." The team doctor arrived quickly to deal with Gu Chao's injury, heard his ring finger "click" sound, immediately diagnosed as a fracture. The coaching staff made a quick decision to send Gu Chao to the hospital for further diagnosis. In the car, Gu Chao's pain intensified and he confessed, "Especially that night, I took painkillers before I could sleep." After the film in the Haikou hospital, the club urgently contacted the domestic orthopedic specialty hospitals, and the Spanish coaching staff also sought the help of Spanish experts. The doctors unanimously recommended, "Immediate surgery is necessary!" Gu Chao expressed his gratitude for the club's concern: "The club was very anxious for my early recovery and arranged frequent vehicle transportation for me. They also adopted the 'combination of Chinese and Western medicine' approach to diagnose and formulate a treatment plan for me in an all-round way, making me feel the warmth of home." After returning to Hangzhou, Gu Chao will need to go to the hospital for another checkup and is scheduled to undergo a ring finger surgery this week at Zhejiang No. 2 Hospital to implant a steel nail for immobilization. According to the current situation, Gu Chao's recovery period is presumed to be about six to eight weeks. As he left Haikou, coach Qiaodi urged him, "Rest well when you return to Hangzhou and try to return to the field as soon as possible." The injury to star goalkeeper Gu Chao has left the Zhejiang team facing attrition. No. 33 Zhao Bo, No. 12 Lai Jinfeng and No. 24 Li Yijia are the other goalkeepers on the team's roster, while Zhao Bo is expected to become the new starting goalkeeper. Gu Chao communicated with Zhao Bo: "I told him that I hope he can stay calm and just play his level in the game. He has extraordinary strength and standing in the Chinese Super League, it's important to de-stress and take it easy." On Friday, Zhejiang will usher in the opening game of the new Chinese Super League season against Shandong Taishan. Gu Chao said, "Although it's a pity to be injured at this time, I will sit in front of the computer and cheer for the team. The opponent is strong, so I hope the team can get more points and lay a solid foundation for the whole season."
