Woj: Gordon Hayward “unlikely to return this season”

After undergoing successful surgery—per Robyn Hayward’s Instagram story—to repair a dislocated left ankle and fractured tibia Wednesday night, Gordon Hayward’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the 27-year-old forward will most likely miss the entirety of the 2017-18 season:

While that’s certainly a tough pill to swallow for the Celtics the good news is that Hayward is expected to make a full recovery according to Bartelstein:

When it comes to an injury of this nature, it’s obviously best not to rush the rehabilitation process. Not only will Hayward have to work his ankle back to full strength, he also has to get over the mental block that normally gives athletes pause as they’re trying to return to action. The fear of re-injury can really take a toll on someone and, as odd as it sounds, Hayward is going to have to learn how to trust his ankle again without overthinking.

It will be a long process to be sure, and it would be selfish for anyone to expect Hayward to try to get through this at a rate that would put him back on the floor this year. Right now, what’s important is that he’s good to go for next year and beyond.

As always, we at CelticsBlog wish Hayward and his family nothing but the best during this tough time. A minor setback for a major comeback. Rest up and get well, Gordon.