Hong Kong footballer’s ‘anguish’ over horror leg-break injury, vows to battle back
Dominic Johns is set for his third operation on the tibia and fibula bones he shattered following a reckless challenge from an opponent
After nearly six months of “mental and physical anguish”, Dominic Johns is preparing to return to “ground zero” when he has his third operation on a traumatic leg injury next month.
Playing for Hong Kong Football Club on May 12, Johns had the tibia and fibula bones in his right leg snapped by a challenge from North District midfielder Ho Chun-ho, who was sent off after a VAR review of the incident.
The Australian has unable to walk without crutches since, and outings from his seventh-floor walk-up flat have been rationed.
“The surgeon said my bones are really strong and that he struggled to drill into them, so you can imagine the force of the tackle,” Johns said. “I felt it go through my leg and knew it was severe.
“I didn’t sleep a single second until the surgery two days later; physically and mentally, I was in a lot of pain. I was relieved when the anaesthetic put me to sleep.”
Around six weeks after the procedure to insert a metal rod into Johns’ lower leg, the 24-year-old discovered the surgery had been unsuccessful. He had already been seeking second opinions, after a physiotherapist at HKFC raised fears the operation had gone wrong.
