It looks more and more likely that Aliya Mustafina will have to miss the Russian Cup. The competition will take place at the end of the month and the gymnast’s training is still limited due to the injury. While last week there were still talks about her possible participation in the Russian Cup, in the newest comments to the media, Mustafina only talked about Euros and Worlds. Mustafina said to TASS that she feels better and thinks she can start full training soon but she still needs to wait for the doctors’ recommendations:
“There’s still no answer from the doctors, we’re still waiting. My plans are preparing for the European Championships and the World Championships. Although the knee still hurts a bit, I would start full training now, but I think it’s necessary to wait for the doctors’ verdict”.
She also said that even though it’s the same knee she had a surgery on in 2015, the current problem is different.
In her comment to RIA Novosti, she elaborated on the situation:
“I sent the MRI results to the doctor in Germany. The injury itself isn’t serious but there are still issues and it’s better not to aggravate them. He’ll say how the knee recovery is going, I’ve already sent him earlier MRI results when the pain just started. I’m expecting an answer within a week, he will determine whether I need a surgery and whether I can keep competing until the end of the season with this knee issue. I hope that my next competition will be the European Championships. The main question is whether it’s possible, with the current state my knee is in, to keep adhering to the doctor’s recommendations and to prepare for the season and to compete, if not on all four events, then on two. If it’s possible, then it will probably be bars and beam”.
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