Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva has surprisingly revealed he does not remember the incident in which he broke his leg very well, and declared he never wants to see it on TV or in the newspapers...
The striker, who celebrates his 25th birthday on Monday, suffered the injury just three minutes into Arsenal's Premier League game against Birmingham, following a challenge from Martin Taylor, who was sent off for the offense.
The players' reaction was one of absolute shock, as the game was frantic following the eight minute stoppage that was required to remove the player from the field.
The match ended in a disappointing draw for Arsenal, who let Manchester United back into the title race as a plucky Birmingham side forced men forward and won a last-minute penalty to pull it back to 2-2 for Birmingham.
However, all thoughts were with Eduardo during and after the game, and speaking to the club's official website, he has revealed that he barely remembers the incident, possibly due to the severe shock his body experienced from the injury.
He has also sportingly refrained from blaming Taylor — who is reportedly distraught by the incident — and said that these things happen in football.
"I don't remember the incident very well and it is not something that I want to see again on television or in the newspapers," he declared.
"All I remember is that when I fell, I looked down at my foot and it had turned the other way. The rest is just a blank. It was an unfortunate situation but these things can happen in football.
"I am unsure at the moment of the extent of the injury and how long I will be out of action for but I know that I won't be able to play for Arsenal for the rest of the season or be ready in time for the Euros this summer.
"But I'm not worried about that. My concentration and determination is on making as quick a recovery as possible. I am determined to overcome this injury."
"I would like to thank the medical team here at Arsenal for their efforts as well as the staff at Selly Oak Hospital who carried out the operation on Saturday night.
"I would also like to say how touched I am by the many messages of support I have received and to be surrounded by my loved ones at this time."
Such a positive response will only earn the hit-man more praise, as he has shown great ability since joining the Gunners from Dinamo Zagreb this summer. Whenever he has played in his natural striking role, he has rarely failed to deliver, proving incredibly decisive in front of goal.
He will no doubt be missed by his club, but also by his country. Born in Brasil, the striker opted to play for Croatia after earning citizenship there. Brasil will surely be regretting his decision, as they are in need of a striker of such ability to succeed the great Ronaldo.
He has proved clinical with Croatia, scoring 13 times in 22 experiences. He was one of the stars in the side's successful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, which saw Steve McClaren's England embarrassingly eliminated from the competition.
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic is horrified by the injury, but insists what is most important is the player's well-being, rather than how it affects his side's fortunes at this summer's Austria-Switzerland tournament.
"This is horrible," he said. "The fact he won't play at the Euros is less important — most important is that he recovers as soon as possible and resumes his footballing career.
"He is a great guy. Of course I will visit him very soon, trying to cheer him up."
Source: Goal.com
