Erik Skoglund is set to undergo back surgery on Thursday (February 5) to repair a herniated disc, and is expected to be out of the ring for at least six months while he completes his recovery and rehabilitation.

 

The Swedish star sustained the injury while preparing for his December fight with Glen Johnson, but was unaware of the full extent of the injury until a recent MRI scan.

 


 

‘’I felt a terrible pain in my back the weekend before my last fight,’’ said Skoglund. ‘’I’ve had pain in my back before but nothing like this. I received some treatment in Berlin to enable me to fight, but the pain continued.

 

‘’Following a period of rehabilitation and a consultation with my physiotherapist I underwent a MRI scan to assess the damage. It showed I had a herniated disc and it was decided the best course of action would be surgery.

 

‘’I have every faith that the operation will be a success. My surgeon Gunnar Nyberg is one of the best.  He preformed a similar operation on one of Sweden's top skiers Anders Södergren, who came back less then a year after surgery to win an Olympic gold medal. I’m confident that I too will be able to come back better and stronger than ever!

 

‘’Of course, it is disappointing to be out of the ring for so long, but I’m pleased to have ended 2014 on a high. I'm still undefeated and have proved that I belong at world level with my victory over Johnson. I'm looking forward to showing everyone what I can do once I'm rested and back to 100% fitness. I’m sure that once I’ve recovered I will be able to pick up where I left off and take the final steps towards winning a world title.’’

 

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ''It is an unfortunate injury, but not an uncommon one. Erik is a young fighter with years ahead of him. The most important thing is for him to regain full fitness and not risk any further damage. We wish him well with the operation and would like to remind him that this is nothing more than a minor set back on his journey to the top.''