Published: 12:04, January 15, 2025
Chinese striker Wu Lei to take knee surgery
By Xinhua
Wu Lei of China greets the spectators after winning the group C match of 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers between China and Singapore in North China's Tianjin municipality on March 26, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - Chinese forward Wu Lei is ready to have a knee operation that will leave him out of action for at least two months.

Wu has been nursing a right knee complaint which ruled him out of China's latest two World Cup qualifiers - its 1-0 away win over Bahrain and 3-1 home defeat to Japan in mid-November.

Wu was also dropped by the Chinese side which is holding a training camp in Haikou, southern China's Hainan province.

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He tried a conservative treatment, but it did not work out well.

"The problem will not go away completely without an operation," he told Shanghai local media.

"It's very disturbing. If I don't receive an operation, it will get worse than last year," he said.

Wu said he is discussing with his club Shanghai Port about the surgery plan.

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He is expected to be sidelined for at least two months after the surgery, which means he will miss China's next two World Cup qualifiers -- one against Saudi Arabia on March 20, and the other one against Australia five days later.