PETALING JAYA: The next four weeks will be a critical period for men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong, who is now in Doha to undergo surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh confirmed that the 25-year-old left for Doha on Saturday and has since been admitted to Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital.

To start with, Tze Yong is expected to spend about four weeks there, covering both the surgery and initial rehabilitation.

"He was admitted to the hospital on Monday, and our initial expectation is that he will be there for about four weeks. But that’s just the estimate for now," said Kenny.

“Our hope is for the surgery to go smoothly so he can focus fully on his rehabilitation and return to action like before.

Typically, the rehabilitation process for an ACL injury takes around six to nine months or longer, depending on the individual and the severity of the injury.

Still, the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist can take comfort in being in good hands, as Aspetar is known for treating many world-class athletes, including football stars like Erling Haaland and Neymar.

For the record, Tze Yong had only just returned to competition in April after a 14-month layoff due to two back surgeries.

However, misfortune struck again when the 25-year-old sustained a right knee injury during the first round of the Malaysian Masters in May.

The tournament was one of four events he managed to compete in this year, starting with the Asian Championships, followed by the Taiwan Open and Thailand Open.