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Corluka reveals Eduardo agony
Vedran Corluka was close to tears when he saw the tackle which left Eduardo da Silva with a double compound fracture of his left leg.
Arsenal's Croatia striker suffered the horrific injury after a challenge from Birmingham's Martin Taylor in the opening moments of the Premier League clash at St Andrews.
The full incident has been deemed too graphic for television, although limited replays are now being shown.
And international team-mate Corluka was left distressed by Eduardo's plight, but believes Taylor had not intention to cause the injury.
Cry
The Manchester City full-back told Sky Sports News: "I was very disappointed and sad because Eduardo is my friend.
"When I saw that thing happen to him I wanted to cry because he's such a good guy and he didn't deserve that.
"I don't want to talk about that tackle. I think the player didn't want to do that, it just happened.
"I'm just sad because Eduardo didn't deserve that. The player made that tackle but I think he didn't want to do that, he was just unlucky on that tackle."
But Croatia captain Niko Kovac has blasted the "brutality" of the challenge.
Eduardo will definitely miss this summer's Euro 2008 finals and there are genuine fears his career could be threatened.
Horrible
Kovac said: "I can't believe this happened. Also, I can't believe such brutality still exists in football.
"I don't even want to speculate about the time of his (Eduardo's) absence. Let's wait for the doctors to give their opinion."
Croatia manager Slaven Bilic said: "This is horrible. 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."
And team doctor Zoran Bahtijarevic added: "Obviously, Eduardo won't be able to join us at the Euros, but that's least important now. As a great friend and sportsman, he will be missed until his return."
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News reports in Croatia state that Eduardo called Croation coach Bilić last night from hospital.
Bilić said: “He called me, said he was okay and will definitely return. I felt huge optimism in his voice and the will to return to the pitch. The important thing right now is that Eduardo is mentally strong and believes in his return, which will help his recovery.”
This is a good sign for the hitman, as many doubted he would ever play again.
Also he will be transferred from Birmingham’s Selly Oak hospital to London this afternoon. The surgery was successful, and for the next six weeks he will be wearing a semi-open cast.
The Gooner Forum will keep you updated with any news on his recovery, and we all wish Eduardo the best of luck.
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Amputation threatened Eduardo
Swift action from medical staff saved striker's foot
The horrific broken leg suffered by Eduardo on Saturday could have seen the Arsenal striker lose his foot.
Leading osteopath and physiotherapist Tim Allardyce believes that only the prompt treatment of the club's medical staff prevented the Croatian from requiring an amputation.
Such was the severity of the injury that Allardyce feels even intensive surgery may not be enough to allow the striker to make a full recovery in the future.
Emergency
"You can lose the foot, simple as," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
"Once the foot dislocates like that, it can badly damage the blood vessels and it's very, very serious.
"The foot needs to be relocated immediately or almost immediately to save it and emergency surgery is completely necessary.
"Imagine your worst ankle sprain and make it about 10 times worse and you're getting close to where Eduardo is.
Mobility
"He could be out for several months. We'd expect a normal person to be out for about six months.
"With the level of fitness he'll need to get back to, it could be anywhere around the nine months mark."
He added: "Potentially, the bones will heal but there's all the other damage around the area, such as the ligament damage, the tendon damage, the soft tissue damage, the damage to the joint capsule.
"He's going to have to do an awful lot of work to regain full mobility and strength to the ankle to get him up to the standard of playing international football. Whether he can do that or not, I'm not sure."
Confidence
Allardyce also revealed that any person sustaining such an injury is likely to suffer psychological trauma which could prevent them from putting themselves in a similar situation ever again.
"Once you've sustained such a serious injury, you'll always tend to be aware of it before you regain full strength and confidence," he said.
"It will have a big psychological effect, certainly for the next year, maybe for several months after that."
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Eduardo - I am determined to overcome injury
Eduardo has given his account of the terrible events at Birmingham City on Saturday.
The Croatian, 25 on Monday, broke his leg following a challenge from Blues defender Martin Taylor in the third minute of the game at St Andrews. He was taken to hospital and underwent surgery that night. The striker has since returned to a London-based hospital for further treatment.
Speaking for the first time after the incident, the summer signing from Dinamo Zagreb ruled himself out of the rest of the season and Euro 2008 in the summer. However, he added that he is 'determined to overcome this injury'.
“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," said Eduardo.
"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. Everyone there made me feel as comfortable as possible."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.”
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Send your messages of support to Eduardo
Arsenal striker Eduardo broke his leg in the opening minutes of the game at Birmingham on Saturday.
He has since had surgery and, thankfully, is on the road to recovery. However it may be a long journey.
If you would like send a message of support to Eduardo please e-mail here.
Please keep your messages down to just a couple of sentences. Also include your full name, age and where you come from.
Arsenal.com will collate them, put them into a book and give them to Eduardo.
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taken from Arsenal website.
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Club releases statement with update on Eduardo injury
The Club can confirm that following the incident during Saturday’s match at Birmingham City, Eduardo has fractured his left fibula and sustained an open dislocation of his ankle joint in the same leg.
He was immediately taken to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham where he underwent surgery on Saturday evening. The operation was successful and Eduardo was transferred to a London-based hospital on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier today (Monday 25th February), the Orthopaedic surgeon and Arsenal medical staff assessed the extent of the damage and possible time scale for a full recovery.
All being well, Eduardo will have his leg in plaster and using crutches for the next six to eight weeks. After that time, partial weight-bearing exercises will be scheduled into a slow rehabilitation process.
It is hoped that Eduardo will be running again in six months time and making a full recovery after nine months.
Eduardo will be released from hospital in a few days.
The Arsenal medical team would like to take this opportunity to thank Birmingham City FC for their assistance on the day as well as the surgical and ward staff on S2 at Selly Oak Hospital for their expert medical care.
In addition, and on behalf of Eduardo, the Club would like to thank everyone for their many touching messages of support.
[ Monday, February 25, 2008]
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Eduardo's career fear
First pic of horror-tackle striker on the mend
BROKEN leg victim Eduardo will know in the next two weeks whether his career can be saved and admits: "The injury was so grave I could have lost my foot."
The first picture of the Arsenal striker since his horrific injury shows him in plaster but he still has the risk of infection which could wreck his nine-month rehabilitation.
Eduardo suffered an open fracture and dislocated ankle from Birmingham defender Martin Taylor's red-card lunge in last Saturday's 2-2 draw at St Andrew's. And Gunners physio Gary Lewin warned: "The only cause for concern is if he gets any infection because it's an open fracture.
"The crucial part is the next two weeks.
"If we can get through that without infection, and all the signs are very good, then we can start the rehab and the long road to recovery."
Pain
And in an exclusive News of the World interview, the 25-year-old Croatian forward thanks Lewin for saving his left foot.
"The injury was so grave I could have lost my foot," he confessed.
"So I will always be grateful to Gary for what he did in lowering the risk to my leg. That was decisive. I do not remember too much about the blow.
"I remember the pain, seeing that my foot had rotated, but I only recaptured my senses in hospital.
"I had to spend my 25th birthday in there on Monday and it was a very sad day."
IT was the question which had haunted Eduardo for 24 horrific and pain-filled hours.
And until he looked into the eyes of the man who had maimed him, he knew there could be no answer.
So when the Arsenal striker saw Martin Taylor standing at the foot of his hospital bed, all he could do was fix the Birmingham defender with a rigid stare.
He had to know — there and then — if the hideous lunge which broke his leg, smashed his ankle and threatened the Croatian's career was meant to hurt him.
"All I could do was look at his face — I was totally pre-occupied," admitted Eduardo.
"I wanted to believe what Taylor said and to think that what happened was an unfortunate accident.
"I had to look at him. I could not understand how anyone could make a tackle like that in only the third minute of a game.
"But in the end I believed that Taylor was sincere and I accepted his excuses.
"Even though he had destroyed my season it would be incredible to think that what he did was pre-meditated."
Eduardo, a man of faith, has yet to view footage of the incident that shocked the world — and insists he never will.
He may have accepted Taylor's apology but he cannot bring himself to watch a replay of the tackle that caused an open fracture of his fibula, dislocated the ankle and saw the bones pierce his skin.
Grateful
"I have still not have seen images or any photos and I'm not interested," he explained. "I've made this decision along with my wife.
"I want to try and forget what happened. The injury was so grave that I could have lost my foot.
"So I will always be grateful to physio Gary Lewin for what he did in lowering the risk to my leg. That was decisive.
"I do not remember too much about the blow.
"I remember the pain, seeing that my foot had rotated.
"But after that I do not recall much of being on the stretcher, in the dressing room or the ambulance.
"I only recaptured my senses in the hospital at Birmingham.
"I spent my 25th birthday there on Monday. It was a sad day.
"I am very religious and it is clear that now I need so much help to overcome this situation.
"My family and the club will be decisive in my recuperation.
"I have received so many phone calls and letters of encouragement. And not only from England and Croatia.
"I was the main story in my native Brazil, too.
"I will respond to all these people. That is the positive side of all this, the people are with me."
Eduardo, later transferred to a London hospital, is now back at home and expects to be on crutches for the next six to eight weeks.
Then will come months of mind-numbing rehab work in the gym, reflecting on the sheer physicality of the Premier League.
He added: "Every match you play is dangerous because football is a contact sport.
"But in England forwards receive excessive kicks from defenders.
"I will miss Arsenal's race for the title and the Champions League campaign but, most of all, my first European Championship with Croatia. That is the worst blow.
Dream
"Euro 2008 was a big dream. To qualify was one of the best moments in my life but I am only 25 and I can play in other Euros. That's what is in my head.
"Croatia national coach Slaven Bilic and my international team-mates have called and their support is enormous. I am happy about that.
"And my Arsenal team-mates have promised to win the league title for me. That, too, is very emotive.
"At Arsenal we have the team to be champions. All season we have suffered injuries but are still at the top.
"So I hope that my absence will not affect the team.
"We have a sensational attack and now Robin van Persie is returning soon.
"The rehab will be difficult but, as each day goes by, I am closer to playing for Arsenal again.
"I need to be in plaster for nearly eight weeks and for six months it will only be possible to exercise with little movement.
"I have suffered. But a week ago I looked at the future with fear.
"Already the situation is better."
As Eduardo had suffered an open dislocation of his left ankle there were fears of infection.
But Arsenal physio Lewin's quick actions helped stabilise the injury.
Eduardo underwent surgery in Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital last Saturday night.
And now Arsenal believe the player could make a full recovery within nine months.
Mend
Speaking in yesterday's Arsenal match programme, Lewin declared: "The operation went really well.
"Eduardo stabilised on Sunday and was then transferred to hospital in London.
"He stayed in until Wednesday. He's well on the mend and the only cause for concern is if he gets any kind of an infection because it's an open fracture.
"The crucial part will now come over the next couple of weeks.
"If we can get through that without infection — and all the signs are very good that will be the case — then we can start the rehab and the long road to recovery.
"Eduardo suffered an open fracture of the fibula and a dislocated ankle.
"Both have now been repaired surgically.
"It was a very bad injury but it could have been worse.
"Only time will tell how bad it is.
"He will stay in England while he is in plaster then we will liaise with him about the rehab programme.
"We may send him to a really good rehab centre in Brazil. Some of the players have been there before.
"He is coping excellently. He has been very, very positive.
"He understands the seriousness of the injury but he knows players have come back from it before."
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Statement: Update on Eduardo's progress
On Monday afternoon, Arsenal FC released the following statement:
"As planned, Eduardo visited a specialist this morning.
"X-rays show that he is making satisfactory progress and the full cast on his left leg was removed and has been replaced with an air boot for protection.
"Eduardo’s road to recovery is on schedule and he will now start his rehabilitation programme."
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Bilic: Eduardo Now Only Weeks Away
The Brazilian-born Croatia striker suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle during the February game against Birmingham, and had been expected to be out of commission until the end of the calendar year at the earliest.
Eduardo himself recently said he was on course to be back in training by July already, and his national team boss has seconded that assessment.
"He is recovering and may even join Arsenal for their preparations," confirmed Bilic.
"Eduardo's absence is a handicap, we feel it all the time."Even without Eduardo's goal-scoring touch, Croatia managed to get their Euro 2008 campaign off to a positive start by edging co-hosts Austria 1-0 yesterday evening.
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Eduardo To Miss First Two Months Of Season?
Eduardo could be ruled out of the first two months of Arsenal’s season after reportedly encountering a problem in his recovery and rehabilitation from the career-threatening leg injury he sustained at Birmingham in February.
The Brazil-born striker had been making good progress from the traumatic double break, and had even hoped to be able to take part in Arsenal’s pre-season programme.
However, reports now claim that the 25-year-old will not be ready to return to full training until October.
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