Details of former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe’s lawsuit against his ex-employers over medical issues have been released.
Reports emerged earlier in the year that Tuanzebe was suing United over claims of “clinical negligence”, with the Carrington academy graduate alleging that he suffered “poor medical advice” during his time at Old Trafford, which was blighted by injury.
Now, according to reports from Sky News, the Burnley defender blames United for no longer being able to play “without restriction or impediment”, and that this has potentially impacted his career and subsequent earnings.
Tuanzebe, who left United in 2023 after 17 years and 37 senior appearances, is seeking damages “in excess of £1m” as the details of his lengthy lawsuit against the Old Trafford outfit come to light.
Details of Tuanzebe’s Lawsuit Against Manchester United
Tuanzebe’s lawsuit case against United encompasses several issues, but centres around a stress fracture on his spine, with the Congolese defender alleging that he suffered a left-sided pars fracture in January 2020, which subsequently became chronic by July 2022 and also led to a right-sided pars fracture.
As quoted by Sky News, his lawsuit states:
“Appropriate treatment plans would, on the balance of probabilities, have resulted in the claimant avoiding the pain and discomfort set out below and would have resulted in him being able to play professional football at elite level without restriction or impediment.
“As it is, although he continues to play at an elite level, this has impacted his career and earnings.”
Additionally, Tuanzebe’s case claims that United “negligently failed to properly investigate the claimant’s pars fractures, failed to rest the claimant and failed to refer him to a specialist sports spinal surgeon.”
A pars fracture was found, which is common amongst footballers given the spinal stress they suffer from repeatedly performing high-intensity movements.
However, Tuanzebe’s lawsuit claims that if he had been “appropriately rested, his left-sided pars fracture would not have developed into a chronic condition and the right-sided fracture would have been avoided altogether.”
The lawsuit adds that the Red Devils “failed to refer him to a specialist sports spinal surgeon” in January 2020, and that he returned to action prematurely the following March, rather than taking the advised three months of rest to allow his fracture to appropriately heal.
Tuanzebe was in action for United by March 2020 in the Premier League Two, and even went on to perform admirably against Kylian Mbappé and PSG in the Champions League in the following October, before informing the Red Devils’ medical team in December 2020 that he was suffering pain with his hamstring.
Therefore, Tuanzebe’s lawsuit claims that “he suffered more serious symptoms than he would have if he had been diagnosed promptly and treated appropriately with rest”, by playing as normal up to March 2020.
On the matter, the lawsuit claims that an “appropriate treatment plan” for the injury was only implemented three years later in April 2023.
Had the treatment plan been in place at the time, the lawsuit states that it would “on the balance of probabilities, have resulted in the claimant avoiding the pain and discomfort set out below and would have resulted in him being able to play professional football at elite level without restriction or impediment. Although he continues to play at an elite level, this has impacted his career and earnings.”
In the 2022 January window, Tuanzebe was sent out on loan to Italian giants Napoli, but would feature only twice for the Serie A side due to continued injury struggles.
The defender’s lower back pain saw Napoli send him for further scans, but Tuanzebe’s lawsuit alleges that United’s then-senior club doctor, Dr Steve McNally, “indicated no urgency” for him to return to England for further examinations.
Despite Napoli’s club doctor indicating the potential of a fracture, Dr McNally is alleged that he did not believe that would “cause his current pain”, and Tuanzebe was subsequently recommended pain relief injections in March 2022.
Amid the following pre-season, further scans and medical reports in August 2022 showed a stress fracture of Tuanzebe’s spin, and the defender was released by the Red Devils the following summer after his loan spell at Stoke City.
The lawsuit adds: “By allowing the claimant to return to training and playing, including an intense strength and conditioning and running programme following 17 August 2022, this has caused him to suffer more serious symptoms than he would have if he had been diagnosed promptly and treated appropriately with rest.”
Tuanzebe joined Ipswich Town ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign, and made 44 outings in two seasons with the Tractor Boys, before returning to the Premier League for this season with newly-promoted Burnley.
