The former Manchester United player was carried off on a stretcher with his leg heavily strapped, and was rushed to hospital for the damage to be properly assessed.
Danny Welbeck
Arsenal forward, Danny Welbeck may not play football again after he suffered a “career-ending” injury during Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Sporting Lisbon.
This was the claim of English medical expert, Johnny Wilson.
The England star required lengthy treatment and oxygen during the Europa League clash at the Emirate on Thursday after landing awkwardly when he had gone up for a header.
The former Manchester United player was carried off on a stretcher with his leg heavily strapped, and was rushed to hospital for the damage to be properly assessed.
Graphic images showed that Welbeck fell to the turf and his leg bucked under him, leading Arsenal fans to fear the player may have ended his career.
Wilson, who holds multiple degrees in sports medicine and has worked for three football clubs, has now provided a devastating verdict on the potential severity of the injury.
“Injury to #Welbeck. Possible fracture dislocation of ankle which could [be] career ending,” Wilson wrote on Twitter.
“Structures within the ankle which could [be] injured [are] the medial, lateral, anterior & posterior ligaments, tibia, fibula & talus bones as well as chondral surfaces. Will need [to be] imaged #AFC.
“X-ray will [be] used as 1st line of imaging [to] assess integrity of bones: tibia, fibula, talus, calcaneous & other smaller bones in foot especially – 5th [metatarsal]!
“He will also [have an] MRI within next 24-48 hrs [to] assess soft tissue structures such as ligaments muscles tendons & chondral surface.
“High velocity impact and landing from a height – the forces involved can be comparable to a road traffic collision.”