Basketball: Tom Abercrombie unable to travel with NZ Breakers for seven weeks after eye surgery

Tom Abercrombie will be unable to travel with the NZ Breakers for seven weeks following eye surgery. Photo / Photosport

Tom Abercrombie is set to miss the start of yet another season for the New Zealand Breakers, with the veteran swingman unavailable for the opening weeks of the NBL due to an eye injury.

Abercrombie was injured in the Breakers' preseason loss to the Brisbane Bullets earlier this month, with surgery required to repair a damaged retina in his left eye.

As a result, he is unable to travel for the next seven weeks. However, the 35-year-old said he was hopeful of being available to play home games for the side once his vision was good enough, which was expected to be in about three weeks.

"It's getting better slowly. Surgery all went well but unfortunately, they had to put an air bubble in there to help the recovery process so that extends the recovery a little bit longer," he said.

The bubble is used to help keep the retina in place while the eye heals and gradually dissipates. Right now, Abercrombie said his vision wasn't great out of the recovering eye, and the bubble was "reflecting everything" which had been triggering headaches. However, the bubble was expected to halve in size over the coming weeks, which would see his vision clear up.

"There's nothing I can do to take it out or hurry it up. It just sits there as my little friend in my eye. It's pretty frustrating and disorientating at the moment, but it is what it is. It's done its job, not it's just sitting there and I've got to wait for it to disappear.

"I could theoretically go and play right now, I just can't see anything. It needs to get to a stage where essentially I can see well enough to play. I'm hoping that'll be in a few weeks' time."

It's a frustrating start to the season for Abercrombie, with the campaign beginning on Sunday away to Melbourne, as he finds himself in the unfortunately familiar position of missing games due to injury. Last season, he missed most of the campaign after dealing with a side strain and a hamstring issue.

"I'm in the best shape I've been in in years, and was ready to get stuck into the season," he said.

"These injuries and accidents... I spent a fair bit of time lying on my right-hand side unable to do anything wondering 'why me?' but at the end of the day it is what it is. I'm on the road to recovery now and I'll be back as soon as I can."