In the dusk of May 29, Gu Chao, the iconic goalkeeper of Chinese Super League newcomer Zhejiang, embarked on a flight back to Hangzhou, just three days after the journey departed from the Haikou tournament. On May 27, in a warm-up match, Gu Chao was injured in a heroic save and had to return to Hangzhou to undergo surgery for a fracture of his left ring finger. This change, no doubt for the team's new season of the Chinese Super League journey cast a layer of shadow.
And it all goes back to May 26, when the Zhejiang team departed Hangzhou for Haikou after vowing to leave for the new season. The next day, they would play a crucial warm-up match against the U19 National Youth Football Team, which was preparing for the U20 Asian Cup qualifiers. Gu Chao, the team's starting goalkeeper, was naturally included in the starting lineup by manager Jordy. However, just after he managed to pounce on a close ball, an unexpected fracture broke the rhythm of the game.
After the incident, Gu Chao was rushed to the hospital, and the diagnosis was not revealed until May 28th. The Zhejiang Football Club then arranged for him to return to Hangzhou to receive treatment. 29 afternoon, Gu Chao, with regrets and expectations, embarked on a journey back to Hangzhou, ready to undergo surgery in a local hospital. After the operation, he will face a long recovery period, which means he may miss the first stage of the June 3 to July 12 Chinese Super League matches. As for whether he will be able to make a comeback in time, there is no conclusion yet. It is worth mentioning that Gu Chao had suffered an injury in Haikou during his time with Jiangsu Suning in early 2017.
With the departure of Gu Chao, Zhejiang team is facing a new challenge. The Jordy boss had to quickly pick a new starting goalkeeper, with Zhao Bo and Lai Jinfeng currently on the shortlist. However, both goalkeepers have not appeared in the top domestic league before.
