Saxelby set for surgery

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Gloucestershire have confirmed Ian Saxelby will undergo knee surgery next month, with a further operation likely to be necessary at a later point.

The 23-year-old seamer saw his season prematurely ended by a developing problem in his right knee and is set to go under the knife in mid-October.

Ian Saxelby's knee problem has worsened and the Gloucestershire seamer will now undergo surgery next month in a bid to regain full fitness

“There will be a six-to-eight-week rehabilitation period after the initial surgery,” Saxelby told Gloucestershire’s official website.

“The knee will be scoped and the surgeon will tidy up any wear and tear while gathering further information which doesn’t show up on scans.

“I tore the posterior cruciate ligament, which helps to stabilise the knee, when I was about 16 and the added strain that caused seems to have affected the cartilage.

“I had a clean-up operation two years ago, but the condition has deteriorated quite rapidly since then through day-to-day cricket and I now have bone on bone causing a problem.

Saxelby is hopeful that his upcoming operation will allow him to play pain-free for a number of years.

“Whatever happens something more major will have to be done further down the line, but hopefully the surgery next month will enable me to play a lot more cricket in the meantime,” he added.

“I’m hoping I’ll get a few seasons at least in before another operation, but we will know more after the rehab period.”

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