Oxford United midfielder Alex Gorrín reveals how he’s managing recovery after picking up a ‘frustrating’ season-ending injury in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup

The 28-year-old tore his anterior cruciate ligament  in the U’s FA Cup clash against League Two side Bristol Rovers back in November, an injury that will keep him out of the Oxford United squad until the end of the season.

Thankfully, the Spaniard revealed that he is making progress in his recovery, hailing the club’s medical staff as the major reason for his optimism.

“I’m really pleased with the progress,” the midfielder said, talking to the Witney Gazette, “we’ve got a great medical team here and the surgeon that did my operation is one of the top ones in England.”

“At the start it was a bit slow, but it’s been picking up. I’m feeling great and I shouldn’t be too far off running in a straight line on the grass.”

Gorrín is well-known to be a cheerful figure in the Oxford dressing room, though in the early stages of his recovery, there was little to be positive about for the Spaniard as the news broke out that he would not play for the U’s again this season.

“It’s frustrating at times; I’m not going to lie,” the midfielder admitted, “Especially in the early stages you’re in quite a lot of discomfort and you struggle to walk, so you think ‘how am I going to come back?’.

“When your body has a lot of pain, the first thing you say is let it rest and heal, but you have to keep the knee moving and go through the pain to let it get better.”

Since arriving from Scottish Premiership side Motherwell in 2019, Gorrín has made over 100 appearances for Oxford in his three years at the club, his physicality on the field proving him a very strong signing for the U’s.

Despite being out of contract in the summer, head coach Karl Robinson has suggested that the midfielder will be offered a new deal, with Gorrín himself indicating that he’d like to stay at the club, stating that “I can’t see why I shouldn’t be back for next season,” upon his full return to fitness.

The Verdict

The absence of the Gorrín has clearly had an impact on Oxford, who have slipped down the table since the midfielder has been ruled out of the squad.

However, United fans will be pleased to hear that his recovery is going well, and with the Spaniard set to return to action next year, there’s certainly a lot to look forward to, especially if the U’s can earn promotion to the Championship at the end of the season.