Andries Noppert has to undergo surgery for a groin injury, SC Heerenveen announced via the official club channels. The 29-year-old closing post was last under the bar with the Frisians on January 22. Noppert was hopeful that his groin injury could be resolved without surgery, but will have to go under the knife in the foreseeable future. It is unclear whether the World Cup visitor will return to the field this season.
Despite the annoying message, trainer Kees van Wonderen is happy that there is clarity about Noppert’s injury. “He had been in rehabilitation for a while, with the idea of strengthening the groin area. That was getting better and better,” says the coach. “In between, he visited specialists to ask if he was on the right track. There he was told that it was the right route, but in the end he took too few steps forward. That is why the operation has now been chosen.”
Andries Noppert will soon be operated on for a groin injury. It is still unclear whether the the Dutch-international can still take action this season.
— sc Heerenveen (@scHeerenveen) April 7, 2023
Van Wonderen hopes for a speedy recovery of his goalkeeper, but cannot give any guarantees. “If you stick to the six-week recovery period, you’re almost at the end of the season. Maybe we’ll make the playoffs. In the sunniest case, he can still play and he will be eligible for the the Dutch squad, which will then play in the Nations League. But then I look at things very sunny.”
Noppert is sorely missed in Heerenveen’s goal. After his injury, his replacement Xavier Mous has already been passed 21 times in ten matches. The the Dutch-international was himself seventeen times under the bar this Eredivisie season and ‘only’ conceded sixteen goals. Heerenveen will receive FC Volendam at the Abe Lenstra Stadium on Saturday evening at 9 p.m. The current number nine of the Eredivisie has the same number of points as number eight RKC Waalwijk, although coach Joseph Oosting’s team has played one game less.
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