“When he told the doctor he was going to perform, the doctor said, ‘You’re out of your mind’”: Richie Sambora recovering from “gruesome” injury after playing through the pain

According to reports, Richie Sambora is currently recovering from surgery after suffering a “gruesome” injury to his hand.

The guitarist had recently celebrated his 66th birthday by teasing a new solo track, I Was Born to Rock, but details of the injury he first suffered back in April have also now been revealed – and the effects of it are still plaguing him.

The guitarist has called the new track a “gift” to his Instagram followers, and follows a string of single releases last year. Before that, he put out two defiant singles, Come Back to Me and Engine 19.

The new track features reverb-soaked drums and a decidedly ’80s glam rock swagger, with Sambora handling guitar and vocal duties. Vitally, it offers a little light amid the dark of his injury, which happened while playing touch football.

“He caught a ball, and some guy gave him a touch right into a curb,” an unnamed source tells People. “He was completely swollen and fractured his hand in two places."

Sambora, who had been scheduled to perform several days later at the Unbridled Eve Derby Gala, refused to cancel, despite the doctor’s orders.

“When he told the doctor he was going to the Derby, the doctor said, ‘You’re out of your mind,'” the source reveals. “But he said, ‘See ya! I’m going.’ That’s the kind of guy Richie is. He’s a man of his word.”

The guitarist ultimately required surgery in his left hand and the source says Sambora is still battling an “arduous, slow, and painful” healing process.

In March, Sambora shared the stage with Phil X, the man who replaced him in Bon Jovi replacement. The pair joined Orianthi at a charity show to play Livin' on a Prayer. Jon Bon Jovi, meanwhile, has ruled out the guitarist's return to the band.