Grandfather’s worries for Murray after his injury woes

CONCERNS: Former Hibs player says his disappointment has turned to anxiety

Andy Murray’s grandfather has told of his “worry” for the star, after he had to pull out of the Australian Open due to his ongoing hip injury.

Murray, 30, has returned to Britain to “assess all the options” after admitting he could consider risky surgery in the future.

His grandfather, former professional footballer Roy Erskine, 85, said initial disappointment at the news had turned to worry and anxiety for the three time grand slam winner.

He said: “Initially, I think disappointment and then when you think about it the worry comes into the situation.

“We don’t know – he doesn’t know – what the situation is going to be and how it’s going to end up.

“At the moment we can just hope that everything will go well for him and that he can return to playing tennis to the same standard as he did.”

Murray told social media followers this week how demoralising it was not to be able to compete at the highest level, despite six months of painstaking rehabilitation.

He said further rehab was one option but he had hoped to avoid surgery “as the chances of a successful outcome from surgery are not as I high as I would like”.

Mr Erskine, who played football for Hibs in the 1950s while studying for a career as an optician, said he hoped the injury would not affect his grandson’s career long-term.

He said: “It’s not easy to say. A lot of it is hope that everything will be OK but there’s going to be a bit of anxiety until we hear exactly how he’s doing.”

Following Murray’s withdrawal from the Grand Slam tournament, fans took to social media to offer their support.

Sachin Talwar wrote on the For the Love of Sports Facebook page: “Got to feel for Andy Murray... his hip is problematic and the reality is his career may be over or he may be out for a very long time to allow it to recover... really feel for him especially when he says the kid in him just wants to play!”

Twitter user @Missingmuzza added: “Desperately trying not to be negative as I know that never helps and it won’t help him either. All we can do is support him, be there for him.”

A leading hip specialist believes surgery could help Andy Murray return to his best form – provided there is not too much damage in the joint.

The former world number one withdrew from the Australian Open yesterday and is considering going under the knife to try to resolve the problem, which has kept him sidelined since Wimbledon.

Murray has kept the exact details of the injury private but is known to have consulted a number of specialists in a bid to find the best way forward.

With a conservative approach not having allowed him to return to the court, an operation now appears a likely course of action.

Murray had hoped to avoid surgery and admitted in an emotional social media post earlier this week that he has been told the chances of a successful outcome are not as high as he would like.

Professor Max Fehily, the lead surgeon at the Manchester Hip Clinic, has extensive experience operating on athletes with similar problems.

He told Press Association Sport: “As I understand, he’s got a condition called femoroacetabular impingement, which is very common in athletes.

“We see a lot of it in football, rugby, squash, tennis, and essentially it’s where the ball of the hip impacts against the cup.

“One of the problems with athletes is, as it impacts repeatedly, eventually it can damage or tear the labrum, but it can also eventually start to cause arthritis. Everybody’s on a spectrum, with one end being just a cartilage tear and the other end being significant joint surface damage.”

Professor Fehily sees surgery as being a good option for Murray and one that could well allow him to return to the top of the sport, albeit after a significant period on the sidelines.

“He’ll have had the best physio and body strengthening you can have, so then the next step is surgery,” he said. “And in a way I’m surprised he’s left it this long because it’s very difficult to perform at his level with that kind of an injury.

“Recovery from keyhole surgery, you’re looking at realistically six to 12 months before you’re back at top level. He’ll have done a lot of work pre-surgery to make him stronger and that will speed up his recovery.

“Based on what’s in the public domain, there’s no reason why he can’t return to his previous level, but it will all depend on how much damage is already there.”

“Based on what’s in the public domain, there’s no reason why he can’t return to his previous level. PROFESSOR MAX FEHILY

Murray’s withdrawal from the year’s first Grand Slam appeared inevitable after he pulled out of his scheduled warm-up tournament in Brisbane earlier this week.

In a statement, the Scot said: “Sadly I won’t be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete.

“I’ll be flying home shortly to assess all the options but I appreciate all the messages of support and I hope to be back playing soon.”

Andy Murray manages a smile for a fan in Melbourne after his withdrawal from the Australian Open. However, his grandad says he worries for him.

Picture: Getty. If there is not too much damage in the joint, surgery could help Andy Murray get back to his best, a leading hip specialist believes.