Popular wrestler Endo, who withdrew during the ongoing Spring Grand Sumo Tournament with a serious left-knee injury, will likely have an operation on his damaged meniscus, his stable elder Oitekaze said Tuesday.
No. 5 maegashira Endo, 24, has been sidelined since the sixth day of the 15-day basho. Oitekaze confirmed that Endo also has a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Endo is at a hospital in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, but is expected to return to Tokyo after the tournament and undergo endoscopy. He is not planning to have ligament surgery, but he might reconsider based on the results of the examination.
Endo, who suffered the injury on the fifth day when he earned his fourth win of the meet against Shohozan, could possibly be out for the long haul.
"He's told me there's no use crying about it now," Oitekaze said. "He's in a situation now that he can't move at all. I have no idea when he will be able to leave the hospital."