FOOTBALL : Robin van Persie intends to do all he can to get back into action for Arsenal as soon as possible – and will travel to Serbia for radical medical treatment that involves massage using fluid from a placenta.
Robin van Persie intends to do all he can to get back into action for Arsenal as soon as possible – and will travel to Serbia for radical medical treatment that involves massage using fluid from a placenta.
The Holland forward – who has scored eight goals in 15 games in all competitions this season and emerged as one of the Gunners’ key figures – has been ruled out for at least six weeks with partially-torn ankle ligaments following a heavy challenge from Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during Saturday’s friendly in Pescara.
Van Persie will return to London to continue his rehabilitation but is ready to go a step further to try to help the healing process, telling Dutch television programme Studio Voetbal: “I will fly to the Balkans to meet with a female doctor who helped (PSV Eindhoven midfielder) Danko Lazovic. She is vague about her methods but I know she massages you using fluid from a placenta.”
He added: “I am going to try. It cannot hurt and, if it helps, it helps.
“I have been in contact with Arsenal physiotherapists and they have let me do it.”
Van Persie accepted his injury could have been much worse.
The Dutchman added: “A scan showed that my ankle ligament was almost completely torn off where Chiellini caught me but it was not intentional.
“I was lucky, it could be worse.”