Axel Tuanzebe: Man Utd accused in £1m lawsuit of harming defender’s profession by failing to deal with harm ‘promptly’ and ‘appropriately’

Manchester United have been accused of harming the profession of a former participant by failing to deal with an harm “promptly” and “appropriately”, leaving him with extra severe long-term issues, in keeping with a £1m lawsuit obtained by Sky News.

While defender Axel Tuanzebe continues to be within the Premier League at Burnley, he blames United for not having the ability to play “without restriction or impediment”, impacting his profession and earnings.

The landmark case has been introduced by the footballer claiming scientific negligence – shining an unprecedented highlight on the interior workings of a number one membership’s medical care and alleged dealing with of an harm.

The lawsuit lodged on the High Court in London reveals the 27-year-old Congolese participant “expects to recover damages in excess of £1,000,000”.

An academy graduate at United, he left the membership in 2023 after 17 years earlier than occurring to affix Ipswich Town for 2 seasons after which signing for Burnley in June. United declined to remark.

The case centres on stress fractures behind the backbone, which the British Association of Spine Surgeons says footballers are weak to.

It’s alleged Tuanzebe sustained a left-sided pars fracture in January 2020, which turned power by July 2022 when he additionally developed a right-sided pars fracture.

The lawsuit says: “Appropriate treatment plans would, on the balance of probabilities, have resulted in the claimant avoiding the pain and discomfort set out below and would have resulted in him being able to play professional football at elite level without restriction or impediment.

“As it’s, though he continues to play at an elite degree, this has impacted his profession and earnings.”

The details of the injury have never previously been reported.

The case centres on how MRI scans in early 2020 had been interpreted following a hamstring harm suffered in a League Cup match in December 2019 in opposition to Colchester.

A suspected pars fracture was detected – referencing spinal stress fractures within the decrease again, which athletes can endure from repeated actions.

The lawsuit says: “It is the claimant’s case that the defendant [United] negligently failed to properly investigate the claimant’s pars fractures, failed to rest the claimant and failed to refer him to a specialist sports spinal surgeon.

“As a consequence, the claimant’s signs considerably progressed to bilateral grade 4 fractures, and he developed a left-sided power spinal fracture.

“Had the claimant been appropriately rested, his left-sided pars fracture would not have developed into a chronic condition and the right-sided fracture would have been avoided altogether.”

The fractures, which developed by July 2022, brought about Tuanzebe “significant pain and discomfort since their development and deterioration.”

‘A specialist sports activities spinal surgeon would have suggested 12 weeks of relaxation’

The lawsuit claims that in January 2020, United “failed to refer him to a specialist sports spinal surgeon” who would have apparently suggested at the very least 12 weeks of relaxation to permit the fracture to heal.

But Tuanzebe was again taking part in by March 2020 for United within the Premier League 2 growth competitors and returned to first-team motion in October within the Champions League in opposition to French aspect Paris Saint-Germain.

Then United supervisor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed “a tremendous defender, a great leader”, including: “He’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man Utd player should have.”

In December 2020, Tuanzebe informed United he was struggling hamstring ache after sprinting. Despite issues in the beginning of the yr, the decrease backbone “was not imaged on this occasion”, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit says: “By allowing the claimant to train and play as normal from February to March 2020 and thereafter, he suffered more serious symptoms than he would have if he had been diagnosed promptly and treated appropriately with rest.”

It claims an “appropriate treatment plan” was solely put in place three years later – in April 2023.

The lawsuit says: “Appropriate treatment plans would, on the balance of probabilities, have resulted in the claimant avoiding the pain and discomfort set out below and would have resulted in him being able to play professional football at elite level without restriction or impediment.

“As it’s, though he continues to play at an elite degree, this has impacted his profession and earnings.”

Sent for scans while on loan at Napoli

It was while on loan at Napoli in January 2022 that left-sided lower back pain led to the Italian club sending Tuanzebe for scans.

United were informed by Tuanzebe of difficulties getting out of bed and into his car.

But Dr Steve McNally, United senior club doctor and head of sports medicine and science, who left the club after 16 years in December 2022 to take a role with the PGMOL, is alleged to have “indicated no urgency” for him to return home for an examination.

Dr McNally is alleged to have told Tuanzebe it was “most definitely” he had “disc irritation or change in posture mechanics reasonably than a stress drawback” and that it “normally resolves with physio” rather than being serious.

The lawsuit highlights the period from January 2020 to January 2022, claiming United “did not correctly assess, report or try and deal with the claimant’s fracture within the acute part” when further regular medical examinations were required and appropriate rest from training and playing was needed.

Examinations continued into the following month, February 2022.

The lawsuit says while a stress fracture was excluded by Dr McNally following a CT scan, there could be an “infected aspect joint between the vertebrae”.

But Napoli’s club doctor said an analysis of a CT scan showed a potential stress fracture, described as “power incomplete lysis of the isthmus of L5 with intact superior cortical profile”.

Dr McNally is alleged to have responded by saying that it was already visible on a CT scan from 2017, so “do not assume that might trigger your present ache”.

Pain-relief injections

Based on a referral by United, Tuanzebe was recommended pain relief injections in March 2022.

Despite reporting pain in June 2022, Tuanzebe went on United’s pre-season tour to Thailand the following month, but then asked to return to England for treatment.

After further MRI and CT scans, a stress fracture of the spine was reported in medical reports in August 2022.

He was able to return to full training by January 2023 and joined Stoke on loan until the end of the season, but ongoing discomfort limited him to five appearances.

United then released Tuanzebe rather than triggering a one-year contract extension.

The lawsuit says: “By permitting the claimant to return to coaching and taking part in, together with an intense power and conditioning and working programme following August 17 2022, this has brought about him to endure extra severe signs than he would have if he had been recognized promptly and handled appropriately with relaxation.”

The “particulars of declare”, which units out the premise for the case, was filed after being signed by Tuanzebe on October 27.