Baba Rahman: Chelsea doctor convinced me not to retire after my 2nd ACL injury

Abdul Baba Rahman has disclosed that he came close to retiring when he suffered his second Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury.

The Ghana defender said it was the Blues’ doctor, Paco Biosca, who convinced him that he could still have a career after that terrible injury.

Rahman was on a promising career path when he joined Chelsea in 2015 and was later loaned to Bundesliga side Schalke O4 for the 2016-17 season.

However, he suffered a ligament tear during Ghana’s opening game against Uganda at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Baba Rahman talks about injury woes at Chelsea

That injury kept him on the sidelines for nearly two years, with the 30-year-old enduring a setback shortly after recovering from his first ACL injury.

Rahman has since put his injury woes behind him and is currently enjoying his football at POAK after joining the Greek side in 2023.

Discussing his time at Chelsea, the Ghana international said injuries didn’t allow him to give his best at the English club, revealing that it was Dr. Paco who talked him out of retirement after his second ACL injury.

“I am sad things didn’t work out at Chelsea. I just had so many bad injuries, and because I wasn’t 100% fit, I wasn’t able to give my absolute best,” Rahman told BBC Sport.

“I owe them a lot because it was Dr. Paco who convinced me not to retire after my second ACL injury. It had taken me 18 months to come back, and when the doctor told me I had another ACL injury, I decided that I had had enough.

“I told my family I was quitting. But Dr. Paco said that he had seen other players come back and promised that if I was patient and mentally strong, I could do it too. I slept on it and then decided I wanted to fight for my career.”

Rahman has played 18 matches in all competitions this season for PAOK, contributing five goals and one assist.

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