THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

"You've experienced a severe muscular contusion to the quadriceps at the front of your thigh," Zachary heard the middle-aged radiologist announce with a slight Russian accent. "We've also discovered a moderate contusion to the bone beneath the damaged tissue. However, the good news is that there's no fracture or torn muscle in your thigh. So, your injury will heal pretty quickly as long as you avoid strenuous activities, get proper rest, and take other necessary recovery measures."

Zachary let out a pent-up breath of air after hearing the diagnosis. For the previous thirty minutes, he'd been lying on one of the comfy recliner chairs in an imaging lab at the Minsk Regional Clinical Hospital, anxiously awaiting the radiologist's verdict.

His greatest fear had been the possibility that he'd fractured a bone or tore a ligament. He'd found it hard to stay calm as he waited since he understood that injuries of such severity could take even longer than four months to heal. Furthermore, the progress of his career would have been significantly slowed down as he struggled to regain match fitness after the recovery period.

A smile lit up Zachary's face for the first time since his arrival at the hospital in the Minsk city center. After hearing from the radiologist that the injury wasn't too severe, he felt like he'd unloaded a massive weight from his shoulders.

"How long will an injury like this take to heal?" He asked the radiologist. His main concern at that moment was how quickly he could get back to playing competitive football.

"Between six to nine weeks," the radiologist responded right away. "The exact recovery time varies from individual to individual. So, I can't give any specifics. But since you're a professional athlete, you should take an eight-week rehabilitation rest to avoid any future complications arising from the injury. That should be enough time for both the muscle and bone contusions to heal without any problems."

"Oh," Zachary said, frowning and feeling his mood sink again. Eight weeks of recovery meant he wouldn't partake in any Rosenborg games until late October. By then, the season would be close to conclusion. He would only get the chance to play in three or four fixtures before the closure of the Tippeligaen in early November. Moreover, he would also miss out on the Europa League group stages if his team managed to qualify. That frustrated him to a great extent.

"Don't worry about any unnecessary stuff, Zachary," Eivind Pedersen, one of the Rosenborg medics that had accompanied him to the hospital, chipped in. "You need to put all your focus into recovery if you hope to heal as quickly as possible. Forget about everything else and focus on healing. We'll be there to support you the entire time."

"Okay," Zachary said, nodding. Although he was still in low spirits, he saw the wisdom in the medic's words. From experiences in his past life, he understood he needed to have a positive attitude and put in a great deal of effort if he hoped to speed up his recovery. Those elements were essential in any professional athlete's injury rehabilitation program. So, after calming down, Zachary forced himself to forget about the injury itself and the matches he would have to miss — so that he could pivot all his attention onto his recovery. That was what mattered the most at that moment.

****    ****

'ROSENBORG'S YOUNG STAR, ZACHARY BEMBA, OUT FOR TWO MONTHS AFTER PICKING UP AN INJURY IN THE THIRD ROUND OF THE EUROPA LEAGUE QUALIFIERS.'

****

Kristin couldn't help but frown and shake her head repeatedly after reading the headline on the sports page of the Friday Adresseavisen newspaper. Her frustration spiked as she realized what a blow Zachary's injury could be to Rosenborg's hopes that season.

Since Zachary was out for two months, he wouldn't play in Rosenborg's second-leg Europa League game against FK Minsk scheduled for the following Wednesday. He would also miss the semifinals of the Norwegian Cup and Rosenborg's upcoming eight Tippeligaen fixtures. He would only return to full fitness for the last two Tippeligaen games and the Norwegian Cup final in early November.

She wasn't confident Rosenborg could maintain their remarkable form throughout all those games in Zachary's absence. She was distraught by the news of his injury.

"What's the matter, Kristin?" Monica Rønning, her flatmate, asked from across the table covered with a variety of dishes. The two of them were having breakfast in the living room of their apartment in Stjørdalsveien.

Kristin sighed, shaking her head after hearing her flatmate's question. "Zachary picked up an injury in yesterday's game against FK Minsk," she said, returning her gaze to the newspaper article. "The medics estimate that he'll need about two months to recover fully."

"Oh, my!" Monica exclaimed, her eyes widening. "That's just unfortunate. What sort of injury did he pick up?"

"It's a contusion to the thigh quadriceps and bone," Kristin replied, her eyes still on the newspaper page. "He picked it up during a collision with a defender right before he scored Rosenborg's second goal. He's truly unlucky this time around."

"A muscle and bone contusion!" Monica mumbled, inclining her head slightly, deep in thought. "I picked up a similar injury while skiing in Sweden last November. It's not a severe type of injury. Everything depends on how he manages it. His injured leg should regain motion quite quickly — probably in a couple of weeks as long as he rests and applies ice. However, it will take him at least six weeks to recover fully. I'm guessing the medics have added two more weeks to allow Zachary enough time to regain full fitness after the recovery period. That must be why they quoted two months rather than six weeks as the period he'll be out."

"Oh, that's some good news at last," Kristin said, finally looking up from the newspaper. "All that's on the web is negativity. Some people are already speculating that the injury could affect Zachary's form negatively, especially since he's a young player. They claim he'll find it hard to recover completely and that Rosenborg will lose its place at the top of the table. I've even seen posts saying the Troll Kids will fail to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League after the return leg against FK Minsk next week."

"Well," Monica said, smiling a bit. "I think they're right. Rosenborg will find it more difficult to win games in Zachary's absence for sure. Just imagine a Rosenborg without Zachary for the entire season. You guys would be like third or fourth on the table without his goals and assists."

"That's true," Kristin concurred, sighing. "However, I believe the rest of the team will rise to the occasion and keep winning. None of our opponents in the Tippeligaen can stop our momentum this late in the season."

"Moreover," Kristin continued without a pause. "Coach Johansen has signed four new players that look quite promising. One of them is Thomas Partey, a defensive midfielder. He put up a brilliant performance in his debut game against FK Minsk yesterday. With him on the squad, we have a good chance of winning our remaining games and maintaining our lead at the top of the table. The only competition that worries me is the Europa League. Without Zachary, I don't see us qualifying out of the group stages."

"Let's hope the mighty Coach Johansen has a solution to all this," Monica said before changing the topic. "I'm guessing Zachary's social media accounts must be experiencing a surge of activity. His followers should be expecting an official update on his status. How are you handling it?"

"I've chosen to ignore them until I manage to get in touch with him," Kristin replied, smiling ruefully. "I'll not post anything on his behalf before talking with either him or his agent."

"Zachary is truly unlucky this time around." Monica sighed. "He would have been the leading contender for the golden boot and best player awards this season if he could have maintained his form over the next few games. However, with the injury, I don't see that happening."

"Let's just hope that he recovers fast. That's what matters most at the moment."

****    ****

After spending a night in Minsk, Belarus, the Rosenborg squad returned to Trondheim the following evening. Coach Johansen immediately decided to head to his office after sending off his players at Lerkendal. He hoped to prepare the game plan for the match against Sandnes Ulf two days away before heading home to rest.

However, after settling in his office chair and opening up his laptop, his mind started wandering. Zachary's injury had come at the worst possible time – just when Rosenborg was close to qualifying for the Europa League.

Coach Johansen understood that Rosenborg would find it hard to realize its goals in the Europa League without Zachary's attacking prowess. Only a player like Zachary, who possessed world-class talent, could maintain his consistency even against the top teams in the Europa League. Coach Johansen had been banking on him to help Rosenborg through the group stages with his brilliance.

"*Knock*Knock*Knock..."

The sound of knocking on his office door broke him out of his reverie. "Come in," he said right away, not feeling any surprise. He was expecting Trond Henriksen, the assistant head coach, to pass by with another update on Zachary's injury.

"Good evening, Coach," Trond Henriksen said with a polite smile right after stepping into the office the very next instant.

"Good evening to you too, Trond," Coach Johansen replied, half-smiling. "How is Zachary? Has he started treatment at St. Olav's yet?"

"Yes, he has," Trond Henriksen replied. "The doctors at St. Olav's have also given a diagnosis similar to the one from Minsk. His quadriceps is slightly damaged and will need roughly four weeks to heal. The bone contusion is more problematic and requires about six weeks to heal properly. Zachary should return to full fitness in about two months if all goes well. The doctors have promised to do their best to help him through the recovery process."

"That's good," Coach Johansen said, nodding and leaning back into his chair. "Now, we only have to try our best to continue winning even though Zachary is out for two months. Have you been monitoring the three under-19 players that you previously mentioned?"

"Are you referring to the Kasongo boy and the Otterson brothers?" Trond Henriksen inquired, raising a brow.

"Yes," Coach Johansen said, nodding. "How have they been performing of recent? Are they ready to join the senior team?"

"Yes, they are," Trond Henriksen was quick to reply with a smile. "Kasongo has been exceptional throughout August. He has scored two more goals and also provided two assists on the Rosenborg under-19 team. Paul Otterson is also good in his own way and has also scored two goals this month. But I believe the most promising among the three is Kendrick Otterson, the oldest. I've realized that Kendrick is a natural-born goalkeeper who can make impossible saves even while under pressure."

A soft smile lit up Coach Johansen's face on hearing his assistant's assessment. His mood lifted since the three new players were ready to join the senior team. Coach Johansen hoped they would be the spark that could revitalize the Rosenborg team spirit. That way, the Troll Kids would continue winning even in the absence of Zachary.

"You can arrange for them to join first-team training starting this weekend," Coach Johansen said after a short while with a smile. "I hope they surprise me and emerge as new stars on the team."

****    ****