Eduardo suffers 'horror injury'

Sky Sports

Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva suffered a horrific broken leg in the opening minutes of the Premier League clash with Birmingham.

The Croatia international was challenged by Birmingham's Martin Taylor in the third minute of the game at St Andrews with the centre-back being shown an immediate red card by referee Mike Dean.

Eduardo's clearly distressed team-mates immediately signalled to the sidelines that urgent attention was required and the game was held up for seven minutes as he received treatment on the field.

The injury was deemed to be so serious that replays of the incident were not shown on television.

Photographs of the challenge and the immediate aftermath suggest the injury is similar to the break suffered by Manchester United forward Alan Smith during their FA Cup defeat at Liverpool in 2006.

Eduardo is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines and is certain to miss the remainder of this campaign and Croatia's Euro 2008 challenge in the summer.

After being stretchered off the field, he was immediately taken to hospital for further treatment.

The Brazil-born striker moved to Emirates Stadium from Dinamo Zagreb last summer and had scored 12 goals in his first 30 appearances for Arsene Wenger's side.

Absolute shame.  Such a good young talent.  He'll never be the same again.

Hope he pulls through.  Never nice to see a player like that.

horrific injury hope he comes back from this he is a terrific player would hate to see his career ended from this.

Sky Sports won't even show the tackle because apparently it's that bad.

Me mate sent me that photo on MSN.  Poor F***ing tackle.

christ, that looks bad, brings back memories of cisse and busst, remember him.

hope he is able to come back from that.  dont like seeing that happening to anyone.

get well soon son

Jesus that is F***ing bad. I hope the poor lad recovers. All the best.

Thats a bad one,
All the best eduardo

That's a horrible picture.

that is horrible...brrrrr..horri ble picture.

Never nice to hear of such injuries.

I wish him a full and speedy recovery.

Terrible. I hope the lads career is not in doubt.

Horrible photo.


Get well soon Eduardo, hope you make a full recovery.

You could see from the Arsenal players reactions what a horrific injury it was. The slo-motion reply on MOTD was horrible.

You could see from the Arsenal players reactions what a horrific injury it was. The slo-motion reply on MOTD was horrible.

Fabregas couldn't believe it.

I've had a horrific injury myself and it's not a nice situation to be in.  8 days in hospital and required an 7 hour operation.

What happened to me was I was playing Football on the duey grass when it was going dark, ran past a few people with the ball & shot the ball, slid over, someone came in on my elbow and it just snapped!  I've got one big arse scar but it makes me think twice about wearing trainers on the slippy grass.

Back on topic...

I hope he pulls through.  And I certainly hope he doesn't lose his class.

Eduardo is a player I've always admired even before he joined the gunners. That tackle is disgusting and totally uncalled for! Tackles resluting like that should be a whole season ban.. we don't want to see other players careers ended by things like this.. they only live once and they need full support! Your only a footballer once, hopefully Eduardo will recover stronger than ever but seeing as the break was in his lower leg near his ankle.. I fear that he won't be the same again!

All the best!

Hope Eduardo gets through this and Taylor is banned for a while until he can learn how to respect players a bit more.

Horrible injury, you don't want to see that happen to anyone. He's a very classy player too. And that player Kelly for Birmingham said it should never have been a sending off, he completly missed the ball and has now put a great players career in doubt. He deserves at least a 7 game ban, it was a disgraceful challenge.

I agree the tackle was awful. One of the pundits yesterday said that Eduardo was simply too fast for Taylor. O.K the tackle was high, reckless and his studs were showing but i don't think he went in thinking i am going to break his leg. Eduardo nicked the ball away and he followed through. You could see the look on Taylor's face and he was gutted bout it. I'm glad Wenger retracted his statement. Yes Taylor should be banned but not lifetime.

Gutted about Eduardo though. He has shown moments of real quality this season and next seaon would have been immense. You would never wish it on any player. Get well soon. :'(

MOTD showed last night, (taped and watch this morning) Now I've seen some gruesome sights over my time working in hospitals, and that was anatomically wrong and interesting to see how sinew can keep a foot still attached to a leg when both bones , tib & fib, are broken. Yes it turned my stomach and I only watched it once. I wish him the best as I feel he is going to need it.

The pictures look identical to David Busst's when he broke his leg. Two worst football injuries ever.

I have hope with him being quite young that that will be an advantage for him to have a career left. Your bones heal and get stronger the younger you are don't they RedPuppy?
Adam17 is right when he says he's shown moments of real quality and I thought Wenger had popped up with another gem. Such a sad incident and I hope the lad recovers well and can play football again.

FFS this brings tears to my eyes even still. I felt physically sick when I saw this being Croatian and loving the Croatian National Team I am absoultely gutted. This young lad has had to work so hard to get where he was, born and raised on the streets of Sao Paolo came to Croatia when he was 15 and slept on the training ground for two weeks before a local family took him in. Became a fantastic player and now to have all that undone by and ruined by some pathetic third grade defender is just not consolable.

An absoulute horrific tackle the ball was nowhere near Taylor when he made contact with Eduardo's leg and i guess it typifies English Football- no skill, no brains just brawns with the exception of a minority of teams and players. The poor lad will never be the same and will only be a shadow of his former self. I cant describe what a shock to Croatia this is the whole country is mortified and this will have a detrimental effect on our Euro aspirations. Taylor deserves to be banned for as long as Eduardo is out, that will only be of small justification.

Eduardo has come out in the Croatian Press and says he does not blame Taylor, but in the minds if many the injury was tragic,disgusting and shocking.

Good luck Dudu I hope you recovery is rapid and we all love you so much.

Doesn't matter if Eduardo was too quick for Taylor.. these types of tackles are illegal in the game and Taylor knows jolly well that these kind of tackles will result in a straight red. You NEVER show your studs in a tackle.. he went in with a stiff stab and in my opinion these tackles are only made when the player is feeling the heat!

Thing is he put his whole body weight behind that tackle.. again players only really put their whole body weight into tackles when they are sliding tackles as these are cleaner with the contact to the player.

What Taylor did was disgusting, he knew what he was doing before the tackle and he should be banned for a long long time. This could seriously off-put foreign stars similar to Fernando Torres in joining the Premierleague. I'm F***ing angry enough with this tackle as I hate seeing things like this... if it was done to Fernando Torres I actually think I'd hunt him down!

I still think cisse's first break is the worst injury I've ever seen on a football pitch due to where it was in his leg and how it happened.

The physical pain of having to have your bones re-aligned whilst still on the pitch is more unbearable to think of than any other injury I've heard of in football to this day.

Eduardo has said he is already thinking about his return and I hope he is back as soon as possible he is a great player to watch and doesnt deserve anything like that, although it was a terrible tackle there was no intent and I hope taylors name isnt tainted due to this, he has even gone to visit eduardo and I think he did not mean atall for anything like it to happen. life time ban is OTT, it seems logical to some due to fears wduardos career could be over but it has happened alot in football, that doesnt make it acceptable but even stevie has made one of these challenges before, fortunately it didnt result in the player breaking a bone but still that doesnt make it any more acceptable.

Things like the tackle that knocked out the man city player, elbow first into his neck, do deserve life time bans though, clearly there was intent the ball was going off and he ran a long way to do that it is totally unnaceptable in football.

Well when a player makes a tacke like that 35m from goal and 2 mins and 40 seconds into the game what is he thinking and intending to do? The ball was nowhere near Eduardos's leg when he made contact. Any player with respect and half a brain that far out from goal would tug at a players shirt to create a deliberate foul and stop play.

The fact he put all his weight behind his tackle does justify the malice and intent especially on a small bloke like Eduardo it just does not belong to a proffesional player and league. As is said it typifies the no brain and raw power of the English game. In acknowledging Eduard's intent to return to football then it would only seem fair that Taylor is suspended until eduardo can make a recovery.

Despite some of the statements in this thread I would just like to remind people of a few things.

1. Football is a contact sport.
2. So, These things will happen.

Should we ban tackling?

Despite some of the statements in this thread I would just like to remind people of a few things.

1. Football is a contact sport.
2. So, These things will happen.

Should we ban tackling?

Your being silly now. Yes football is a contact sport but it's not one where you put all your body weight into an illegal tackle! His tackle was a stiff stab with studs showing.. this is probably as bad as lunging if you catch the player.

No we shouldn't ban tackling, but tackles like that are already banned and doing it resluts in guess what? A ban!

JD I dont see your point, yes it is a contact sport but there are legal ways of making contact Talyor's was F***ing beyond illegal. When a player puts such weight and force in to a tackle wearing metal studs it is equivalent of someone hacking him with an axe.

Just think if it was Torres or Gerrard on the receiving end I doubt you will be so cold.

It looks horrific but i dont think Taylor went in with intent to he just got beat by the pace of Eduardo,no player would go to try and end anothers carrer,i wish Eduardo a speedy recovery and he should take heart from Cisse or Larsson who both came back from bad injuries like this.

apparently if the medical team had not of reacted so quickly Eduardo may have had his leg amputated because of the dislocation the blood stops flowing to that part of the body which can kill the limb. So it could have been worse for the lad

. In acknowledging Eduard's intent to return to football then it would only seem fair that Taylor is suspended until eduardo can make a recovery.

can't agree with that.  theres no doubt it wasnt a great tackle, but you see players diving in with 2 legs of the ground all the time, those are the people that should be punished.  the simple fact is taylor got caught out by a player with more skill and speed than he has, and hence his tackle was late.  i can undeerstand all the furore due to the terrible injury the lad has suffered, but anyone who watches the premier league will see worse tackles than that one every week.

apparently if the medical team had not of reacted so quickly Eduardo may have had his leg amputated because of the dislocation the blood stops flowing to that part of the body which can kill the limb. So it could have been worse for the lad

same as cisse, medics on football are amazing.

In terms of the challenge, people saying he should have a lengthy ban, do you think people who make a terrible high challenge that doesnt break a bone but easily could have should face a long ban aswell. It has been done by our players before, i dont think it was a fair challenge atall but intentional no way, what reason does he have for doing it so early in the game, do you think this man is roy keane or something. Gerrard has made a challenge worse than this before but it didnt cause a break which was good.

We see challenges where the player goes in that hard every single game, it just doesnt seem so because they win the ball or they dont hit the player. when i saw the challenge i thought it was a tough challenge but had no idea he had broken da silvas leg, da silva shifted the ball away from taylor very quickly butttt taylor shouldnt have had his foot so high atall. As a defender myself i know how to make a challenge and people do go in hard, that is never going to change. The best defenders in the world go into challenges with a no nonsense attitude, but it is not intending to cause damage.

Taylor did bad and he knew it as soon as the challenge had been made, he has the respect to go and see eduardo though.

While his manager Arsene Wenger was quick to blame Taylor - comments which he later retracted - Eduardo admits it was just 'one of those things'.


"It was an unfortunate situation but these things can happen in football," he said - but then insisted he was already looking to making his comeback.

the words of eduardo himself and i think he of all people would know.

it wasnt intentional and had he won the ball and not broken eduardos leg it would be considered a fantastic challenge, there is a thin line between a great challenge and a malicious one, the latter is more like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF0xeo5uZmw

apparently if the medical team had not of reacted so quickly Eduardo may have had his leg amputated because of the dislocation the blood stops flowing to that part of the body which can kill the limb. So it could have been worse for the lad

Cisse was in the same position as that I remember?

Only because of the trusty Liverpool staff sorted his bones out just enough so the blood kept flowing.

Horrific Injury - although i thinks Wenger over-reacted and was right to apologize for his comments, understandable at the time though. MOTD was  funny when Pearce said: I'm told the pictures are so bad we can't show you. then the second thing they do back in the studio is show a F***ing Slow-mo action shot of it ffs. Made me heave

All I am saying is 'let's' assume he was going for the ball.  Eduardo's a great little player, if somebody crap (ie me) went to tackle him I would probably be about 3 years away from the ball.  You see some really tough tackles were the ball gets hammered away and they have been down to superb timing. 

Yes it was horrible but these things do unfortunately happen in a game that does 'and should' have a large element of physical contact involved.

Firstly my thoughts go to Eduardo after this awful injury from a suspect tackle. Nobody wants to see a professional player carted from a football field on a stretcher, whoever the player or team he plays for (in most cases Mr. G. Neville!) In a situation like this football takes a back seat as we wish the player concerned a return to full health and fitness.

An Arsenal fan I spoke to at work claims that professional footballers know what they are doing when they tackle, if that is the case Taylor is guilty of GBH. I would seriously doubt that is the case, unlike the Roy Keane / Alfie Haland incident when Keane was sent off as a result and incurred a 5-game suspension and a £150,000 fine. (F**k ALL then really.) 

The Alan Smith incident at Anfield in the 5th round of the FA Cup in 2006 was also terrible and just pure bad luck - as were both Cisse's broken legs in Oct 2004 v Blackburn and playing for France in a friendly V China in June 2006.

Strong, hard tackles are part of the game and little is likely to change that. Officials have to decide on what is deemed to be fair or not. Late tackles cross the line of good judgment in most cases and are dealt with accordingly, in this case a straight red for Taylor. It may be harsh if the intent was not there but the resulting injury would have a few people thinking otherwise including the ref and perhaps Arsenal fans more so. Martin Taylor has shown remorse for his tackle by visiting Eduardo in hospital, that is the sign of a man with a good consciousness even if his ability of reading a tackle was questionable.

Best wishes Eduardo, Get well soon.

That picture is awful! I didn't know about the injury until Sunday (at cheer comp all day Sat, too tired to watch MotD ), and I saw the tackle on SSN, and then they showed what would've happened to his bone.. just awful.
I dont' think the tackle was that bad though, I thought it was 2-footed, but now it seems it was only 1 footed? It was a bad tackle, obviously, but not as bad as the injury is making out.
Eduardo has had surgery hasn't he, and I've read he will be running again in 6 months and playing again in 9 months, which isn't bad. I just hope he recovers well, surely he would've ripped all tendons, tissues, etc in his ankle. Arsenal medical staff did the right thing it seems, well done to them. Get well soon Eduardo!

Cisse has snapped both of his legs. Apparently he has a thing where his bones tend to give way as his challenges wern't harsh towards him. Can't see it being bad luck!

Cisse has snapped both of his legs. Apparently he has a thing where his bones tend to give way as his challenges wern't harsh towards him. Can't see it being bad luck!

Brittle bones.

Not enough Calcium.

Brittle bones.

Not enough Calcium.

Not enough milk

Not enough milk

Hey Ra.




















Got milk?

compound fracture is very awful. Poor Eduardo. When I saw that it was really awful.
Now Croatian fans are chasing Taylor though he apologized and be apologized by Eduardo.

As doctors say recovery won't be soon, but I wish him easy and quick recovery. Good luck, Eduardo!

He was discharged from hospital today.

I'm sure he's got some fit 18 year old woman to scratch down his plaster so my sympathy for him has now returned to its natural state of zero.

No he has a wife and a 2 year old daughter. He is not Micah Richards or Ledley King.

That tackle is disgusting and totally uncalled for! Tackles resulting like that should be a whole season ban..

I also like Wenger will retract in what I said. I think the game here in England is very fast and when you see that tackle in slow motion it makes the challenge look a lot more malicious! Don't think Taylor meant it, but with that kind of tackle if you miss the ball then you've got the bone. Though he deserves his three match ban, he can think about his mistakes!

Yes Taylor reflects your typical modern day English player 193cm 93 kg tall can run all day long and boot the ball upfield and run aimlessly about the pitch. Has the football brain of a an OX. Some famous ones include well all of them (exception to JCole, Bentley and Gerrard).

That is why England will never win a major trophy.

Hang on a minute Dadorious. There is players like Taylor all over the world mate.

Remember what Bilic was like when he played for Everton and West Ham? He was filthy and used to go into tackles without a care in the world.

It's a shame, but these accidents will occur every now and then in football all over the world. Nobody wants to see it happen. But football is a contact sport. And I was gutted for Eduardo just as much as I would be for any player of any nationality.

Think you're a little bit out of order for solely slagging English players off when I guess you're a bit upset because Eduardo was a key player for your nation in the up coming Euros.

Offcourse I am bitter and I am not implying that Croatian's or Bilic was an angel. Yes he was rough and ruthless but the man knew how to pass a ball properly and chip in with a few goals. He did have two famous icindents 1. "stepping on Ziegle in Euro 96" and faking that head butt from Blanc in WC 98.

But he never went in breaking anyone's leg. I am not just slagging off Taylor but how many of these tackles do we see each round?? I d say about 10 where the outcome is not as bad, hence I am saying it typifies English football.

English football is no more or no less worse though. It's just focused upon more. A broken leg in the Premiership is massive news.

I know you weren't implying that Croations or Bilic himself are angels mate. I was just giving you an example that's closer to home to you that bad tackles can and will go on like this all over the place - it's not just English players that have a mind of an OX so to speak.

A lot of these tackles happen but the outcome is usually not a terrible injury like Eduardo suffered. I hope he makes a speedy recovery.

You should take heart that Croatia are a decent team without Eduardo though. They play like a team. Which is the fundamental thing English superstar players can't do.

I just saw the tackle, its incredible, and made me gasp in pain, Best wishes to Eduardo, I'd like to also wish him that he joins LFC! I don't think the tackle was much worse than a red card and a match ban.

I just saw the tackle, its incredible, and made me gasp in pain, Best wishes to Eduardo, I'd like to also wish him that he joins LFC! I don't think the tackle was much worse than a red card and a match ban.

You know.  That isn't much of a bad idea.  Obviously it would be a huge question mark now that if Eduardo would come back in to full form & full fitness again.

The form he was on he would of been the ideal partner for Fernando Torres.  Both very different players.  Eduardo is like a Robbie Fowler 'as first mentioned by Arsene Wenger & echoed by me' a real eye for the goal.  As Torres has a knack of attracting defenders towards him the lay off to Eduardo would be perfect. 

But he's injured and I can't (as much as I want to) see him in a Red Liverpool shirt upfront with Torres.  Real shame.

I think he'll come back, he's young,  but i just don't think he'll be the same again when he does.
Once again best wishes to him.

Something not alot of people know. Eduardo has broken someone elses leg before in football.

'Why I forgave Eduardo for breaking my leg'
By Jonathan Wilson
Last Updated: 12:57am GMT 02/03/2008

A bad challenge resulting in a sickening injury; a player helpless on the pitch, his career in jeopardy; horror at the incident turns to anger at the tackler. Events at St Andrew's last Saturday brought back bad memories for Marijan Buljat. The only difference being Eduardo da Silva was the victim rather than the culprit.

Arsenal homepage | Football fans' forum
In pics: Premier League action
Not that Buljat ever blamed Eduardo for the injury that put on hold a hugely promising career which now seems almost to be back on track. He, like Eduardo this time around, seems to have retained a remarkable sense of perspective amid the furore. While a Croatian website has attracted over 30,000 names calling for Birmingham's Martin Taylor to be banned for life and the newspaper 'Jutarnji List' referred to him as an "executioner", Eduardo, perhaps aware of how easily such things can happen, has been forgiving.

   
Shared pain: Eduardo's perspective on his injury comes from enduring both sides of the experience
"It was just an ordinary day in training," Buljat remembers of the first Dinamo Zagreb session after the winter break. "We were working on some one-on-one situations. I was quicker than him. I got to the ball first and he caught my leg in a scissors tackle."

Buljat knew immediately the injury was serious and examinations soon revealed that he had suffered a badly broken fibula in his left leg. "After I realised what had happened, my first thought was that I would never make it back on to the pitch," he said. "I was really afraid. But after the surgery I spoke to the doctors and they told me that I would play football again.

"I knew I had to be strong, and that I had to be mentally calm so I could start playing again. For me, the most important thing was to find the mental strength to carry on. I started to run easily after four months, and after seven months I did not feel any pain."

He had two operations, but after arduous rehabilitation was able to return to action in July last year. Injury kept the 26-year-old out for all of November, but he still featured in eight league games before Christmas. A return to the national side, for whom he has played twice, remains a long way off, but he insists he is still getting stronger.

advertisementEduardo, who joined Arsenal from Dinamo last summer, shouldn't even have been there. He had been home in Brazil over the winter break but, despite being offered an extra two days off to recuperate from his flight, he had insisted on joining up with the rest of the squad.

"Eduardo was more shocked than I was," Buljat said. "I remember him telling me that he was feeling very bad, that he felt worse than I did. But I was never mad at him.

"It's part of the game. It happens. It might have been me who hurt him. That's life." He may seem phlegmatic, but Buljat was as horrified as anyone by the double break his former team-mate suffered. "It was horrible," he said. "My brother was watching the game and he rang me and told me what had happened. I turned on the television and I saw the medics on the pitch trying to help him. Later on I saw what had happened, how Taylor had injured him.

"I remembered everything I had been through. But this was much, much worse. I feel really bad for Dudu [as Eduardo is nicknamed]. After my injury we became very close, and we were great friends while he was playing in Zagreb. I sent him messages wishing him a quick recovery."

Having spoken to him, Buljat is convinced that Eduardo's attitude is right, and he believes he will return. Doctors have estimated a nine-month recovery period, but Buljat knows that it is not just about physiology.

"Dudu called me a week ago and we've talked a lot," he said. "He will be back. Nobody should be in any doubt about that. He is a strong and brave guy who knows how to face troubles in life. We spoke a lot about what happened to me. I know how he feels, but he will come back a better player. I'm sure of that."

Well well well. I didn't know that lil cisse.

Doesn't change the incident of the other week. But it might have an influence on some people who think Taylor should be banned for life....

No it does not change mine Eduardo's tackle was at training and was not malicious it was more the way Buljat fell on it. Taylor's however was malicious .......

No it does not change mine Eduardo's tackle was at training and was not malicious it was more the way Buljat fell on it. Taylor's however was malicious .......

Out of interest how do you know about the way he sustained the injury.

And to the people who think taylor should have a life/season ban, would you think agger/carragher/sami should get a life/season ban if they had made the challenge.

To answer that I am croatian and follow all the news soccer or not from Croatia. I followed when this happened and there was a lot of coverage about it when it did happen, that is how the incident happened.

I also did not say a life ban i said a suspension as long as Eduardo is out and can play again.

And i dont care who made the challenge be it my brother if the outcome of that challenge was as horrific then a lenghty ban insues.

Also how sick can some people be??

"He used to have good skills now he is heather Mills". FFS sick bas**rds chanting that at the game.

True i know what you mean. My main point was that alot of people change thier opinion when you put them into a situation whereby its someone from the team they support that did something wrong.

Yeah true but people chant racist things and i think it could be alot worse, extremely disrespectful but its never gonna stop.

Yea  I know what you mean people become biased in their opinion, I would not change mine regardless of who was responsible. The whole chanting and rascism issue sadly i think will never be resolved there are just to many yobs in the world.

Yea  I know what you mean people become biased in their opinion, I would not change mine regardless of who was responsible. The whole chanting and rascism issue sadly I think will never be resolved there are just to many yobs in the world.

Yeah it is strange but people do it alot. No nor would i everyone should be treated the same. The FA seem biased aswell but that isnt suprising.
Very true.

Anyone know if Eduardo is going to be back for this season? He's played in some games since returning hasn't he? Just wondering if he's going to be ready for the new campaign.

Anyone know if Eduardo is going to be back for this season? He's played in some games since returning hasn't he? Just wondering if he's going to be ready for the new campaign.

Last I heard, he'd took part in one or two reserve games before the season finished.

I reckon he'll be back in time.

Last I heard, he'd took part in one or two reserve games before the season finished.

I reckon he'll be back in time.

And a few first team games, like in the FA cup. He scored two in that game, and then played another game and scored, and then got injured again.

He scored for the Arse yesterday in a 5-0 win.

Wasn't their a Goalie who had a bad head injury and the ref continued play and made the goalie crawl to the sideline. I forget who the goalie was, but he was hurt BAD and could of died and the f***in' ref just walked away. 

I think their should be exceptions to the clock and a "Time-out" should be made in the case of serious Injury.

He'll be back and playing for Arsenal in the new season as long as Arsen doesn't sell him too.