'10 weeks' - Newcastle United winger posts injury update after ACL surgery
Newcastle United injuries: Newcastle youngster Johnny Emerson has provided an update on his recovery from an ACL injury.
Newcastle United winger Johnny Emerson is on the road to recovery following an ACL injury picked up earlier this season.
The 20-year-old risks being out for the remainder of the season following surgery on an ACL injury back in October.
ACL injuries are often given a six to 12-month recovery period, though this can differ depending on the individual and whether there are any setbacks in the rehabilitation process.
At first-team level, Sven Botman was ruled out for 10 months with an ACL injury while Emil Krafth missed 14 months and Jamaal Lascelles is still yet to start a competitive game for the club since his knee injury in March 2024.
Emerson has had a difficult season so far and is yet to feature at Under-21s level having missed the opening weeks of the campaign following a hernia operation in the summer.
As he closed in on a return to fitness, Emerson suffered a major knee injury that will rule him out until mid 2026 at the earliest.
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NUFC winger provides ACL injury update
Emerson broke the news of his ACL injury via his Instagram account as he posted an image of himself in a hospital bed along with the caption: “Heartbroken to have torn my ACL, but successful surgery and recovery starts now.”
And last week, the youngster posted an update of himself back on his feet in the gym at the Newcastle United Academy with the caption: “10 weeks post op.”
Emerson has been a key part of Newcastle’s Under-21s squad in recent seasons and even earned a call-up to Eddie Howe’s first-team squad for the pre-season trip to Hull City in July 2024, shortly after signing his first professional contract with the club.
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The Carlisle-born, Scotland youth international made his first-team debut off the bench against Hull before going on to make 18 appearances for Newcastle Under-21s in the Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy last season, scoring four goals and providing two assists.
But the highlight of Emerson’s time at Newcastle’s academy so far came in the 2023/24 UEFA Youth League as he helped Newcastle claim their first-ever win in the competition by scoring the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
Johnny Emerson determined to shine for Newcastle United
Emerson’s determination to recover from his injury setback and come back stronger for Newcastle was to be expected given the hard work and desire to improve he has previously displayed on and off the pitch at academy level.
The young winger had extra training sessions last season to work on his shooting and crossing.
“It’s something I’ve been working on after training, doing extra shooting or crossing with the coaches,” Emerson said previously.
“To see it is paying off feels worth it and hopefully I can carry that on and gets me in a better place until the end of the season.
“You’ve got to be selfless for the team but selfish in terms of wanting goals and assists because you want to help the team but striving to be the best player in every game.