Tuanzebe suffered a left-sided pars fracture in January 2020, becoming chronic by July of 2022, when a right-sided pas fracture also developed. The issue appears to be the interpretation of an MRI scan at the start of 2020 after the centre-back had sustained a hamstring problem at the end of 2019.
Although the first pars fracture was detected then, Tuanzebe and his advisers argue that there was no referral to a specialist surgeon to prescribe 12 weeks of rest to allow the fracture to heal. Instead, he was back playing at Premier League 2 level in just a couple of months.
"It is the claimant's case that the defendant [Manchester 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," the lawsuit explains.
"As a result, the claimant's symptoms significantly progressed to bilateral grade 4 fractures, and he developed a left-sided chronic spinal fracture. Had the claimant 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 case documents add: "By allowing the claimant to train and play as normal from February to March 2020 and thereafter, he suffered more serious symptoms than he would have if he had been diagnosed promptly and treated appropriately with rest."
It is alleged that by 2022, United's then club doctor, Dr Steve McNally showed "no urgency" for Tuanzebe to return from a loan at Napoli to be examined, despite being aware of his pain, writing off the issue as something less serious.
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