Chimezie Metu has suffered a grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee during Barça's 102-99 win over Valencia. The power forward will follow a conservative treatment plan and is expected to miss the remaining games of the 2024 calendar year.
Last Updated on
November 18, 2024
Nigeria's former NBA player Chimezie Metu sustained a knee injury during yesterday's Spanish ACB (Liga Endesa) match against Valencia. The power forward, who joined the historic Spanish club in March, is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks after injuring his knee while contesting a rebound.
The former University of Southern California (USC) standout attempted to secure a rebound when Valencia's Nathan Reuvers inadvertently caused Metu's knee to twist after a fall. Metu left the game at the 8:20 mark of the second quarter and did not return. Despite his absence, Barça secured a 102-99 victory.
The club has confirmed that Metu will not require surgery but will follow a "conservative plan of treatment." This approach means the former Phoenix Suns player is set to miss the remaining 13 fixtures of Barça's 2024 schedule.
According to a press release the club released today:
"Tests carried out by the FC Barcelona Medical Services show that the player Chimezie Metu has suffered a grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. The player will follow a conservative plan of treatment and will be out of action for six to eight weeks."
"The Barça power forward picked up the injury in Sunday's 102-99 win over Valencia Basket at the Palau. In the battle for a rebound, Valencia's Reuvers fell and inadvertently caused Metu's knee to twist and the Barça player is expected to miss the 13 games remaining in 2024."
The injury occurred at an unfortunate time, as Metu had been cooking from the floor against Valencia. He had made all three shot attempts, scoring six points and grabbing one rebound in four minutes and 45 seconds of play. He appeared well on track to finish with a double-digit points tally.
Chimezie Metu has enjoyed a solid start to his career at Barça, averaging 7.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in the EuroLeague, alongside 11.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and an 11.8 efficiency rating in the ACB.
[Photography Courtesy of fcbarcelona.com and the Barça Basket's Instagram Account]
