FORMER Barcelona wonder Riqui Puig has revealed pictures of his withered leg following a devastating cruciate ligament injury.
Puig, who now plays for LA Galaxy, lost a significant amount of muscle mass in his right leg last month after undergoing reconstructive surgery.
Puig suffered a nasty cruciate ligament injury during LA Galaxy's 1-0 win over Seattle Sonders FC in the Western Conference final in November.
But he played more than 30 minutes with a torn ACL and even provided the winning assist on Dejan Joveljic's goal in the 85th minute.
Scans after the trophy celebration showed a fracture and surgery was performed a month later in a hospital in Barcelona.
The 25-year-old has shared an update on the rehabilitation process of his knee.
Photos show the midfielder has lost a lot of muscle mass in his right leg while working with specialists.
Puig scored 37 goals in 36 games played in all competitions for the LA Galaxy during the 2024 season.
He left Barcelona for America as a free agent in 2022 after falling out of favor with former manager Xavi's plans.
His departure came as a shock to fans after Barcelona legends declared him a special talent.
A 2018 report said: “Lionel Messi realized this soon after Riqui went to training with the first team last season.
“He wanted him by his side and of course the boy was happy to have his idol in front of him and also to give him the ball.
'He wasn't the only one who was surprised.
“Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta, a player with whom he has many similarities, were also fascinated by his football.”
Despite his promising talent as a teenager, Puig found himself far down the Camp Nou pecking order and left in 2022.
Gavi and Pedri are two of the most highly rated young central midfielders in Europe and have continued to flourish.
Meanwhile, Puig is one of the best players in MLS and a two-time All-Star.
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