MANCHESTER UNITED and England defender Chris Smalling has been pictured on a stretcher in hospital in bandages after an accident on holiday.
Local reports, so far unconfirmed, claim that the 26-year-old was surfing in Bali, Indonesia, and may have even been stung by a jellyfish – Manchester United later said the defender had food poisoning.
In honour of such a bizarre injury, SunSport has looked back at some of the weird and wacky injuries to befall other footballers over the years…
DAVE BEASANT
The Wimbledon FA Cup hero was at Chelsea when he suffered a hilarious foot injury. The keeper had dropped a bottle of salad cream in his kitchen and tried to control it with his bare foot – the bottle ended up breaking and tearing a tendon in his big toe, causing Beasant to miss two months of football.
RIO FERDINAND
The former Manchester United and England captain managed to strain his knee while at Leeds – while resting his leg for too long while playing a game of Pro Evolution Soccer on his PlayStation.
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DAVID BATTY
The Leeds United enforcer had been out injured with a knee problem when his two-year-old daughter ran over him while on her tricycle – causing a setback to his ankle.
BRYAN ROBSON
Captain Dynamo was given the task of trying to wake mecurial star Paul Gascoigne from his slumber ahead of the 1990 World Cup. Robson tried but couldn’t wake the midfielder, instead tipping the bed to push Gascoigne out. Robson then dropped the bed onto his toe, breaking it.
ENNER VALENCIA
A recent entry into the list of bizarre injuries, the West Ham striker managed to badly cut his toe after stepping on a broken cup. Then-manager Sam Allardyce was not impressed.
SANTIAGO CANIZARES
The former Valencia No 1 had waited an age to take over in the sticks of the Spanish national team. He got his chance in 2002 but just before the World Cup was about to start he dropped a bottle of aftershave on his foot and, like Beasant, severed a tendon and missed the tournament.
ALAN WRIGHT
The former Aston Villa left-back was a cult hero in the Midlands. But the 5ft 4in Wright once missed a spell after injuring his knee… because he couldn’t reach the pedals on his Ferrari.
KEVIN KYLE
While at Sunderland the former Scotland international was ‘walking a bit like John Wayne’ after his eight-month-old son knocked a bowl of boiling water onto his crotch. Ouch.
LEROY LITA
At Reading the striker managed to hurt his back by stretching to vigorously – while laying in bed. Steve Coppell said: “It’s not an injury that should be ridiculed or made light of.”
DARIUS VASSELL
We’d definitely avoid recreating this one. The ex-Aston Villa and England striker tried to get rid of a blood blister on his toe by using an electric drill. It didn’t go well.
ADAM CHAPMAN
The Oxford midfielder was heating some milk for his baby but as he went to shake it the lid flew off, burning his chest and nipple – he had to go to hospital but was ok to play the next day.
DAVID JAMES
The England stopper has two entries… he once pulled a muscle in his back while trying to reach for a remote control and also hurt his shoulder while fishing for carp.
CHARLIE GEORGE
Arsenal legend George didn’t let this injury stop him. The 1971 FA Cup hero once cut off a finger with his lawnmower.
KIERON DYER
When at Newcastle the England man damaged his left eye – because he ran into a stationary training pole.
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