RIO DE JANEIRO, April 19 -- Recent arrival to Corinthians, Adriano suffered a major setback on Tuesday. In only his second week of workouts with the team, the striker tore his left Achilles tendon.
While undergoing a routine session of physical therapy, the athlete completely separated his left Achilles tendon. The tendon is what connects the heel bone to the calf muscles and is the body's strongest tendon.
Receiving an immediate diagnosis from team doctor Joaquim Grava, the 29-year-old athlete will undergo corrective surgery on Wednesday. As a result of the injury, Adriano is expected to need a minimum of five months to fully recover.
Adriano was expected to make his debut with Corinthians on May 22 in the opening round of the 2011 Brazilian Championship. However, the athlete will be lucky to make it back before the second half of the tournament begins.