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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter

CAPS United midfielder Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo’s playing career is in danger of ending prematurely after he returned home from Zambia without undergoing the scheduled knee operation.

The 26-year-old suffered the injury after he was hit by a car in Epworth five months ago.

He was initially ruled out for three weeks and his team took a gamble to register him for the first half of the season.

However, it was found out he had suffered torn ligaments which needed surgery.

So delicate is the injury that, if successfully operated on, the midfielder would need at least 10 months to fully recover.

The CAPS United medical team had recommended that the procedure be done in South Africa for a fee reported to be in the region of R115 000.

Zambia-based Zimbabwean doctor, Enos Mufushwa, offered to help the talented star in the neighbouring country for a token fee.

But, just when Chitiyo was about to undergo surgery his manager Kudakwashe Chidemo stopped the procedure saying an unnamed ABSA Premiership side had offered to help the midfielder for a more advanced operation.

Chitiyo has since returned home with his manager yesterday evading questions on when the midfielder will eventually get the career-saving operation.

The player said he would not comment much on the issue.

“Football is my life and I am not training. I had gone to Zambia with the hope that I would get the much-needed help, but for the reasons the media has already reported, I couldn’t get the help,” said Chitiyo.

“I had a scan done on the knee, but the operation couldn’t go on. I cannot train now because the doctors warned that I would aggravate the injury.

“I cannot comment on mere plans because they are just plans. It is very difficult for me to say anything which I am not sure of,” said Chitiyo.

Mufushwa warned the midfielder’s career will be in danger if the operation is delayed for longer.

“Ronald Chitiyo is yet to be operated on as his manager, Kudakwashe Chidemo, instructed us to stop as he said a South African club had pledged to pay for the player’s operation which is more advanced than the one we had scheduled to undertake,” said Mufushwa.

“As a concerned Zimbabwean, I had volunteered to help the player. Chitiyo’s case touched my heart as I heard something in the region of R115 000 was needed for him to get operated on.

“He sustained the injury in February and he is still waiting. The more he waits the more the muscles undergo fibrosis and even the arthroscopy will be expensive.

“The one we wanted to carry out costs $545 which is only for the facilities and other minor logistics, but the one the said South African team is proposing needs $12 000.

“The only difference is that the one we had scheduled will leave a slightly bigger scar, but the player will heal fast and play again.”