Updated:2025-07-17 08:06 Views:187
Cui Qi, a key player in the Changchun Yatai football team, has sustained a serious injury that is set to keep him out of action for several months.
The Chinese Premier League (CPL) club confirmed on Monday that Cui had been ruled out for at least three months after undergoing surgery on his right knee.
The injury came as a major setback for the team, which was already struggling to cope with the absence of top scorer Sun Hee-kyu, who suffered a torn ACL earlier this season.
"Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to one of our most important players," said Changchun Yatai manager Zhang Weiwei. "We will do everything we can to get him back on the pitch as soon as possible."
Cui,Football One-Stop 26, has been a key figure for Changchun Yatai since joining the club from Beijing Guoan last year. He scored 11 goals in just 18 league appearances and was named the CPL Player of the Month for November.
Despite his injury, Changchun Yatai will be hoping to find a replacement for Cui to help them continue their efforts in the CPL.
"We'll have to find someone who can fill the gap left by Cui's absence," Zhang said. "But I'm confident that we can manage without him for now."
In addition to the loss of Cui, Changchun Yatai also lost midfielder Liang Shengyuan to a broken leg during a match against Guangzhou Evergrande on Sunday.
Despite these setbacks, Changchun Yatai remain hopeful of finishing the season strong and securing a place in the playoffs.
"We're not giving up yet," Zhang said. "We still have a chance to make it into the playoffs and we'll do everything we can to achieve that goal."