Lauri Markkanen said on Monday that he will miss the summer game due to rehabilitation of a shoulder injury.
17:10•Updated 17:46
A basketball player Lauri Markkanen is out of Susijeng’s lineup when Finland plays in the Olympic qualifying tournament in July.
– For health reasons, I will miss the summer games, Markkanen said at a press conference on Monday.
– The reason is the shoulder. For the rest of the season, I missed games because of it, and it has been such a problem for so long that it needs to be fixed now, Markkanen opened up about his situation.
According to Markkanen, it is a muscular injury which, according to current information, does not require surgical treatment. The player said that the shoulder started showing symptoms for the first time since Christmas. In addition to the fact that in the past NBA season, Markkanen had to sit out some of the games of his club team Utah Jazz because of the pain, it has also caused challenges for training.
Markkanen could not yet give an exact time estimate for getting his shoulder in shape.
– Yes, we will be in good shape in the fall.
The head coach sees the absence as an opportunity
– Of course Lauri is such a big piece that it causes a lot of changes, head coach of the Finnish national basketball team Lassi Tuovi said on Monday.
– Susijeng’s history also shows that in certain situations, when a display place has been offered and above all it has been necessary to stand out, players have stood out from there. This is now also seen as an opportunity to grow as a team, Tuovi continued.
The Olympic qualifying tournament will be played in Spain from the 2nd to the 7th. July. There are six teams, one of which gets a place at the Paris Olympics.
Susijengi starts preparing for the qualifying tournament by camping in Lohja on June 17.