Meridian’s Andrei Lintz found out Wednesday that the injury to his left ankle was more serious than initially diagnosed.

In a practice last Thursday while preparing for Class 1A/2A all-state football game in Yakima, Lintz suffered what was originally thought to be a fractured left fibula, the thin outer bone that runs from the ankle to the knee.

Doctors in Yakima suggested Lintz have the leg checked when he returned home. He did so Wednesday, and was told he had torn ligaments in his ankle. He’s scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday, he said, followed by about two months of rehabilitation.

“I initially thought when they x-rayed it there, that it was a broken fibula, and they said it was just that,” Lentz said. “I went to an orthopedic doctor (Wednesday), and he said he thought the ankle had shifted.”

Further examination revealed the torn ligaments, Lintz said.

Lintz graduated from Meridian earlier this month after earning all-state honors in football and basketball and winning the shot put at the Class 1A state track meet. He will play football at Washington State in the fall, although his summer workout plans will be delayed.

“I thought (the recovery time) would just be minor, like four weeks,” Lintz said. “It hit me with the shock; I was pretty bummed.”

Lintz said he was supposed to report to join the Cougars in Pullman on Aug. 1. He said it’s possible he may still be able to report then and continue his rehab.