Oscarinin's Hidden Injury Amid Tournament
Oscarinin, Fnatic's rookie player, disclosed that he had been competing in Fnatic’s LEC Finals against EXCEL with an injured hand. This information was kept under wraps until they won the match. Despite the need for Martin ‘Wunder’ Hansen to substitute in, Fnatic managed to secure a 3-2 win and qualify directly.
Oscarinin’s Debut
Oscarinin’s debut wasn't stellar as he joined a team with Martin ‘Wunder’ Hansen who wasn’t contributing positively despite being one of Europe’s most decorated top laners, leaving him in a tough spot.
The first split didn't go as planned, and Fnatic ended up finishing eighth. Many questions were raised regarding whether Oscarinin should remain part of the roster due to the team’s subpar finish. Moreover, fast-forwarding to the Season Finals, which determined whether Fnatic would continue their season in Korea, Oscarinin played through the series and triumphantly led Fnatic towards victory despite his concealed injury.
First Signs of Injury
It was noticed that Oscarinin wasn’t in good health during the day’s matches, even before the first game commenced. He appeared to be nursing his right hand and held it at a certain angle to prevent exacerbating the injury. Furthermore, he seemed unable to move his wrist freely, signaling an injury.
Persistent Playing
Despite his hand injury, Oscarinin managed to play four different champions across the five matches and even achieved a Pentakill on Gwen with his prime hand impaired. As difficult as it is to achieve Pentakills, doing so with a handicap is certainly noteworthy.
Oscarinin wasn't the primary player in every game, but there were instances where his skills significantly contributed to Fnatic's victory. Moreover, he consistently outperformed his opponent, Andrei ‘Odoamne’ Pascu.
Injury Confirmation
Soon after the match, Oscarinin confirmed the injury, revealing his hand fully wrapped. He mentioned that he thought the injury occurred at the “worst possible time,” but felt satisfied with his performance.
Post-Injury Substitution
Due to the injury, Oscarinin will undergo surgery and sit out during the match against Team BDS scheduled for September 2. For that match, Wunder will represent Fnatic filling in for Oscarinin. The game will determine the third seed at Worlds 2023 from the LEC.
Despite the last-minute substitution of Wunder for Oscarinin, Fnatic managed to outperform Team BDS in an intense 5-game series, winning by 3-2. The strategy of veering the focus away from Wunder worked well, aiding them to secure the win.
What's Next?
Whether Oscarinin will be well enough to play is still uncertain. For now, it's anticipated that Wunder will play for the team for the remainder of their Season Finals run.
With the victory over BDS, Fnatic's path to Worlds has become much more secure. On the other hand, Team BDS still has a chance to qualify for Worlds by outpacing Golden Guardians in the Worlds Qualifying Series.