Injury blues

Cech: freak injury

With half an hour played in last week’s Champions League quarter-finals clash in Rome, Manchester United didn’t have an injury worry in the world.

In fact they were waiting on Gary Neville and Mikael Silvestre to return from long term injury before crisis struck.

Nemanja Vidic fell awkwardly on his knee ruling him out for at least three weeks and on Sunday United’s other rock-solid centre-back Rio Ferdinand was substituted with an injured foot.

United’s curse of the metatarsal which has deprived them of David Beckham, Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney in season finales in recent years looked to have struck again at the most crucial of times.

United’s fears were allayed on Monday as it was confirmed that Ferdinand has not suffered a break but will be out of action for an undisclosed period.

United will have to rely on second stringers John O’Shea, Gerard Pique and Wes Brown to face the onslaught in the season run-in whilst Vidic and Ferdinand recover.

Neville and Silvestre when fit would be a preferred pairing but their injuries were career threatening and to throw them in at the deep end would be risky.

Things were running smoothly for United but the events of the last week will give their supporters something to get nervous about as Chelsea breathe down their necks.

The Blues however have also suffered an injury hammer blow and will lose goalkeeper Petr Cech for the rest of the season following a horrific facial injury on the training ground.

The Czech keeper has been in fine form this season after recovering from a fractured skull suffered at 18 months ago against Reading.

His season came to a end following an accidental collision with Tal Ben-Haim. Cech was hospitalised and will require 50 stitches to his face and cosmetic surgery after catching the Israeli’s studs.

So, the top two in the Premier League could face off in a potential title decider at Stamford Bridge at the end of April with b-listers in key positions.

What price Carlo Cudicini saving a last minute penalty or Gary Neville notching an unlikely goal to keep United on course for the title.

share this story: