Arkadiusz Milik: 'I didn't feel ready to make Napoli return'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 23 March 2018

Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik suggests that it has been his decision to make a cautious return to action after a second serious knee injury.

Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik has revealed that he decided to ignore a doctor's suggestion that he was ready to return to first-team football.

Since moving to Naples in 2016, Milik has sustained two serious knee injuries but despite being given the green light by a doctor, the Polish international has instead opted to remain cautious over his recovery.

Milik has featured for just 27 minutes across three substitute appearances, but the striker has suggested that it is his own call to not rush straight back into action.

The 24-year-old told TVP Sport: "The doctor decides whether a player is ready or not. Dr De Nicola said I was ready, but I felt differently. I wanted to wait a little longer because I wasn't feeling good, I wasn't my usual self. I wasn't as good as I needed to be.

"How I feel is much more important than what the doctor says, so I still need time to get stronger. If some people can't understand that it's not my problem."

During his time at the Italian giants, Milik has scored 10 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions.