Ricky Rubio will have arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle early next week. Rubio made a brief 17-game comeback in February and March but was shut down because his ankle wasn’t responding well to treatment. The team and Rubio agreed a diagnostic surgery was the best course of action to ensure his long-term health.
From the T-Wolves:
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves released the following statement on behalf of Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations and head coach Flip Saunders regarding Ricky Rubio:
“We have closely monitored the status of Ricky’s ankle injury during the rehabilitation process. Ricky recently experienced ongoing soreness in his left ankle and it became apparent that it was not responding according to its anticipated timeline for recovery. As part of this process we sought numerous opinions as to the best course of action. Ricky was most recently seen by Dr. Richard Ferkel of the Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Los Angeles and it was concluded that the best option would be to pursue diagnostic arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle.
At the time of his initial injury we stated the importance of Ricky’s long-term health. He is an integral part of our future and we are taking every precaution to ensure that he will be able to perform to the best of his ability next season. This decision was one that was reached between Ricky, his representatives, the Timberwolves organization and the foremost practitioners in this field of orthopedics.“
