Hungary star Barnabas Varga will be missing for at least six months after his 'brutal' injury against Scotland, according to the specialist surgeon who operated on him.
And the injury was so severe, it could have led to a loss of movement in his eyeball muscles.
The Ferencvaros star was stretchered off and rushed to hospital after a clash with Scotland keeper Angus Gunn during the Euro 2024 final game in Stuttgart.
And although the 29-year-old is now back in his homeland recovering, specialist surgeon Zsolt Knoll, has underlined the severity of the impact injury.
He explained: "Everything is being done in order for Barnabas Varga to recover, but in this case, the big question is how he will be able to mentally process what happened.
"The Scottish goalkeeper collided with Varga's face with his elbow in a place where there is a bone system consisting of very thin walls.
"The area of skull under the nose and eyes had been hit hard enough to shatter it. There was also a risk that the bony wall of the eyeball would be damaged, which could have resulted in the eye movement muscles not being able to function properly.
"This injury is brutal.
"We chose to reconstruct with minimal exposure, during which the damaged area was fixed from the inside, through the sinus, with special plates.
"But this will take at least half a year to heal and he will have to wear a specialist mask for up to a year, which can provide psychological safety for the player."
