Tuesday 29 May 2018 23:00, UK
Vasyl Lomachenko is to undergo shoulder surgery which will keep him out of the ring until at least the end of the year.
Lomachenko suffered a dislocation in his right shoulder during his WBA 'Super' lightweight title win over Jorge Linares earlier this month.
He will have arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday, which will be performed by renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr Neal ElAttrache, who has previously operated on Vitali Klitschko as well as NBA legend Kobe Bryant and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
ElAttrache told ESPN: "There is clear evidence that he had a recent dislocation of the shoulder, and the most common injury that happens when there is a dislocation is a tear in the labrum.
"His is pretty extensive. A typical tear usually goes from about 2 o'clock if you're looking at the face of a clock down to about 6 o'clock. His goes almost all the way around. I would say he has significant instability of his right shoulder."
ElAttrache said the best-case scenario for Lomachenko would be a return to training in October before potentially fighting again in December.
"None of these things are carved in stone," he added.
"The most important thing is to protect him and allow this to heal properly. With what I'm seeing now that's the timetable if things go perfectly."
