RIO DE JANEIRO, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Botafogo defender Bastos has undergone successful knee surgery following his early departure from the FIFA Club World Cup.

The 34-year-old travelled to Italy for the procedure, which was supervised by Brazilian knee specialist Tiago Carminatti.

"Everything went well, thankfully," Bastos said in a social media post on Wednesday, without providing details of the operation.

"My thanks to the medical team, who made sure everything was done in the best possible way, and to my family, who was always there for me at all times."

Bastos was cut from Botafogo's Club World Cup squad before its round-of-16 loss to Palmeiras last Saturday, a result that eliminated the Brazilian club from the tournament.

He was an unused substitute in Botafogo's final group match against Atletico Madrid on June 23 after appearing to recover from an injury that had sidelined him since February.

But the Angola international later reported renewed discomfort, and exams revealed a need for surgery.

Bastos, capped 58 times for Angola, has made 60 appearances across all competitions for Botafogo following his 2023 move from Al-Ahli.

He was a part of the Rio club's squad that won last year's Copa Libertadores - South America's top club trophy - and Brazilian Serie A title. ■