Two-time Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen has had surgery on an Achilles injury in the United States but has said “it’s not as bad as it seems”.

In worst-case scenarios, recovery time from an Achilles operation can take up to 10 months, but the 25-year-old Norwegian said on his YouTube channel, external that he was looking at a rehabilitation plan for the “next couple of months”.

Ingebrigtsen said he first injured his left Achilles last April, but was determined to compete at the World Championships in September, where he failed to win a medal.

The injury flared up again in January and he said it became “100% necessary” to have surgery to remove scar tissue surrounding the paratenon – a protective sheath that surrounds the Achilles tendon.

“This is of course not something to be taken lightly but absolutely the right thing for the longevity of my career, ” Ingebrigtsen posted on Instagram, along with a picture of him sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a protective boot.

“The surgery went very smoothly and I’m relieved to have a clear path of recovery back to the start line after many months of uncertainty.”