Rome, Italy (SportsNetwork.com) - Roma and Netherlands midfielder Kevin Strootman looks likely to miss the rest of the Serie A season as well as the 2014 World Cup after sustaining a torn ACL in Roma's 1-0 defeat against Napoli on Sunday.
Strootman lasted just 10 minutes in Sunday's game before he was forced to leave the field. And after undergoing tests on Monday, it was confirmed that Strootman had suffered a torn ACL in his left knee which will require an operation and likely sideline him for the next six months.
The injury is a big blow to Roma, which sits in second place in Serie A, three points clear of third-place Napoli, while the injury will also end Strootman's World Cup dreams for the Dutch.
"It's dramatic for Kevin," Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal told NOS after he received news of Strootman's injury. "I can imagine his whole world is collapsing right now. Kevin had a very important time ahead of him, with Roma and the Oranje. This is also a loss for the Netherlands. Kevin made a very big contribution to our qualification for the World Cup."
The 24-year-old joined Roma from PSV Eindhoven last summer and was enjoying a strong debut season with the capital club that saw him net five goals with six assists in 25 Serie A appearances prior to the injury.
