Vlaar sustained a similar injury in January and spent six weeks out of the Villa side but he says his recovery will take longer this time and he is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
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The 30-year-old defender is a free agent after leaving Villa in the summer and had been linked to both Lazio and Southampton.
A statement read: “At the end of the season a trip was arranged for me to travel to India. Instead of four weeks’ rehabilitation, it will now take three-to-four months”, he added.
“On the MRI scan of my left knee it became clear that I had a torn medial meniscus”.
Revealing the news in a blog post, Vlaar wrote: “Instead of two days with crutches, there will now be a four to six-week period”.
Then, when he went underneath the knife, surgeons found his ligament was rolled again in the direction of the rear of his knee joint.
“I am going to get super-fit with so much determination inside me”.
The Netherlands international’s contract at Aston Villa expired last month, with terms on a new deal discussed but yet to be agreed upon after a season hit by injuries that limited the central defender to 23 appearances in all competitions.
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Vlaar had hoped his old worldwide boss Louis van Gaal would offer his the chance to join him at Old Trafford, but that option wasn’t offered. I have faced tougher situations in my life and always managed to overcome them. I am proud of what I have achieved in my career and I am positive that with the support of the people close to me I will come back stronger again.
