Crystal Palace and Brighton target Yakou Meite looks certain to miss out on a move to the Premier League after an anterior cruciate ligament injury consigned him to months on the sidelines.
If anyone knows just how harsh and unforgiving football can be, it’s Reading’s number 11.
Not so long ago, Veljko Paunovic’s surprise packages were sitting pretty in the play-offs, with Meite, Lucas Joao and Michael Olise tearing the Championship to shreds in a blur of blue and white.
But Reading sank as quickly as they had risen, a run of just one win in their final 11 games costing the Royals a place in the top six.
Premier League football still appeared to be within reach for Meite, however, with The Telegraph reporting in May that Crystal Palace and rivals Brighton and Hove Albion were eyeing the £5 million-rated forward.
But even that has been taken away from him now. The cruellest of injury blows is expected to keep Meite out of action for the rest of the calendar year.
Has Meite missed out on a Crystal Palace move?
“The result fell a few days ago… rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, which will take me away from the ground for several months,” said the former PSG youngster, who has scored 42 goals in his past three seasons at the Madejski.
“Absolutely devastated by the news.”
Is there a more feared injury in the whole of football?
ACL ruptures have claimed many a career, with Virgil van Dijk missing almost the whole of the 2020/21 Premier League season and Euro 2020 after being clattered by Jordan Pickford all the way back on 17 October.
Meite has pledged to “come back stronger” and Reading supporters will hope he does just that.
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