Example of plate type of internal fixation of the fibula
Eduardo’s injury was thankfully limited to a fractured fibula and not a compound fracture of both bones. But it was touch and go and only prompt medical treatment saved him from a far worse fate. A huge relief because the injury was as gruesome as it looked. He was operated on yesterday at a Birmingham hospital without any complications and is now wearing a leg cast.
He returned to London and is due to start his rehabbing. In a very encouraging sign he said he is determined to overcome his injury. He was also touched by the many messages of support that he received. Today is his 25th birthday and I am sure he would have loved to have celebrated it any other way but the good news is that his prognosis looks favourable for an eventual return to the pitch in year or so. It involves a hard road to recovery. Eduardo will have to hop on crutches with months of non-weight bearing with regular X-rays taken post surgically to determine the nail or metal plate integrity and new bone formation. With satisfactory union, once his cast comes off, he can move to graded weight bearing and more intensive physical therapy. But it will require months of rehab to get to the match fitness standards that international soccer demands. There is talk of moving Eduardo to Zagreb for his rehab needs once Arsenal works out the details.
Martin Taylor is reported to have visited Eduardo in hospital which is an act of good faith. And today Nicholas Bendtner came to his defence having played alongside him at Birmingham. Taylor may not be a malicious character but lets not put a halo around his head. We have to accept that it was a dirty tackle. It may not have been his intention to hurt Eduardo but he was not going for the ball either.
I agree again with Arseblog. There should be a sliding scale of punishments based on the players history, degree of provocation, and resultant injury. One size does not fit all. Taylor may not have a track record of being a dirty tackler, but in that match he clearly intended to go for Eduardo, and it resulted in a terrible injury. On the other hand, Aladiere’s slap gets the same sentence. Where is the justice? In sum, Taylor’s 3 match suspension is too soft. Over the weekend we saw Danny Vukovic strike a referee’s arm. FIFA rules state that such misconduct could result in a ban for a year at the minimum, at worst, Vukovic, may never play again. Now that is harsh. We have two extremes in standards protecting referees and players.