Young Arsenal star suffers horrendous injury

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Feb 27, 2010

[ENGLAND] Arsenal teenager Aaron Ramsey, considered the greatest Welsh talent to come along since Ryan Giggs, suffered a broken leg after being fouled by old;">Ryan Shawcross Saturday in the Gunners' 3-1 Premier League at Stoke City. The injury was so horrendous that broadcaster Sky Sports refused to replay the incident as it would be "too upsetting" for their viewers. Shawcross was red carded and left the field in tears. Shortly after the match, the 22-year-old defender, uncapped at the international level, learned he had been recalled for England's friendly against Egypt on Wednesday.

Photos showed Stoke's Glenn Whelan kneeling and comforting Ramsey while players from both teams stood around them with their hands in the air in horror. Ramsey was hospitalized with injuries to the tibia and fibula in his right leg.

Ramsey's injury brought back memories of the broken leg Brazilian-Croatian star Eduardo suffered at Birmingham two years and four days ago.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was shocked by the injury, the third time in recent years a Gunner had suffered a broken leg. Frenchman Abou Diaby suffered a similar injury in 2006 at Sunderland.

"Is a three-match ban enough? It is just ridiculous," Wenger said. "It's beyond words. It was an horrendous tackle. I'm very sad. To lose a player of that quality at 19 years of age when he's just started his career is just horrendous. It's the third player we have lost to tackles that are just not acceptable and I'm shocked. It's not football for me and it's not what I like in the game. If we have to live with that, I refuse to do that."

Stoke manager Tony Pulis defended Shawcross.

"I don't think anyone should be too hard on Shawcross," Pulis said. "He'll be beating himself up enough. Ryan Shawcross is a young lad, he hasn't got a bad bit of blood in him. He's got changed and his mum has taken him home, I have not seen him. He'll be devastated."

Shawcross issued the following statement: ''There was absolutely no malice in the challenge. I would never, ever go out to hurt a fellow professional. I am deeply upset that Aaron has suffered such a bad injury and my thoughts are with him. I would like to send him my best wishes too for a speedy recovery.''