Zamora's leg surgery throws up further agony
Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, who suffered a horrific leg break on Saturday during his side’s 2-1 victory over Wolves at Craven Cottage, has been dealt a further blow as initial surgery has suggested there was ankle ligament damage on top of the break.
The 29-year-old forward had, a day earlier, signed a new four-year deal with the Cottagers, but his, and his manager Mark Hughes’ good spirits quickly evaporated as Zamora lay in agony following a challenge from Wolves midfielder, Karl Henry.
Despite the horrendous injury the challenge incurred, both managers were quick to excuse the no-nonsense Wolves player of any blame. Fulham boss Hughes stated, "It's a shame but I don't really lay the blame on the player. There's always a danger if you get tackled from the side or from behind that players' legs can get trapped. I don't think there was any intent to hurt Bobby. You don't expect the circumstances of the injury to be the result of a challenge like that, but it can happen.”
The player himself also spoke of the accidental nature of the challenge and that it was just unfortunate, rather than malicious. "I tried to win the ball but I could see he was in agony and called their physio. There was certainly nothing from me that I tried to 'do' him which a few of their players were suggesting. I don't want to hear it from another professional that I've gone out to try and 'do' someone. I'm sure they will see it as a fair tackle and I've gone to win the ball." stated Henry.
Zamora’s latest injury is a further agony following the one he carried at the back end of last season, which went on to keep him out of contention for a place in England’s World Cup squad. After netting a fantastic 19 goals last season, along with starring in the club’s stunning run to the Europa League final, Zamora won his first England cap last month against Hungary. He was even tipped to follow former Fulham boss Roy Hodgson to Liverpool, but nothing materialised.
The former West Ham and Brighton man must now face a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Early diagnosis suggested a four month spell out, but it looks set to be a fair while longer, following this latest setback. For the player, it’s a bitter blow at a stage in his career where he was showing his best form. For his club, they must play the first half of the season without one of their most talismanic figures, instead relying on new import Moussa Dembele to provide the goals. The Belgian netted a winning brace on Saturday, but pressure will be on him to step into Zamora’s boots for a prolonged spell now.
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