Sergio Rico was ‘half a centimetre from death’ in May following a horse riding accident, but the goalkeeper is aiming to make his Paris Saint-Germain return before the end of the season.
Following the accident on 28th May in Sevilla, the PSG goalkeeper was left in a coma, which lasted several weeks. A medical report suggested that the head injury, left Rico just ‘half a centimetre’ from death.
However, Rico is now continuing to recover, and in an interview with PSG’s media channels, has said he is already setting his sights on a return to the pitch. “I am doing very well. The recovery process is going pretty well. I am very happy and I’m feeling better, that I’m stronger and stronger every day,” he said.
Rico “touched” by tributes
He continued, “I have a medical test on 22nd September to see how my recovery is going. I am hoping to get back to sports just after. My ultimate goal is to be ready with the team before the end of the season.”
Rico revealed that despite the severity of the accident, his thoughts immediately turned to whether he would be able to play football. “I have only ever done that, so I immediately asked myself if I could play again,” said the Spanish shotstopper.
In the wake of the accident, PSG paid tribute to the goalkeeper, wearing Rico’s shirt during a pre-game warm-up, whilst Kylian Mbappé brandished the goalkeeper’s No 16 shirt when celebrating a goal. “I was emotional when I saw that. I received lots of messages from teammates, people from the club, from the president - they all sent me their support. They took time out of their holidays to do so. That touched me,” said Rico.
>> Sergio Rico's family issue update after horse-riding accident
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