Medics find City keeper’s injury only superficial
Manchester City fans will be delighted to hear keeper Ederson has recovered from the brutal injury he suffered against Liverpool.
Apparently the club’s medical staff removed the plaster from his cheek and found the scratch had healed nicely.
They will be even more delighted to hear Ederson is back in full training and will be considered for City’s away match to Watford this weekend.
Anyone tuning in after the 37th minute of last weekend’s Premier League match between City and Liverpool will be amazed at this news given it appeared Ederson would need emergency surgery on the pitch such was the level of work by the medics after he was grazed by Sadio Mane’s boot during their collision just outside the box.
I sat in utter captivation as minute after minute passed as the stretcher was brought out along with the oxygen bag and several units of blood for the Brazilian.
The thing that puzzled me while I waited for the ground to be evacuated, so they could work on Ederson without the distraction of the match being restarted, was replay after replay showed there was barely any contact as both men went for the ball.
I understand the red card was justified under the laws, although I can see why so many high profile pundits thought common sense might have prevailed and a yellow issued.
What I can’t understand is the lack of attention paid to Ederson’s obvious overplaying of the injury and the fact that he was able to watch the remainder of the match from the stands with a plaster the only evidence he had even been involved in the collision.
The post-script to the whole incident is Mane’s three-match ban after he was sent off has stood despite Liverpool appealing its severity on the grounds of excessive punishment. ❚ Record signings and now a record time for a manger getting the sack after Frank de Boer was shown the door after Crystal Palace failed to score a goal or earn a point from their first four Premier League matches.
UK media reports suggest Crystal Palace were already considering replacing de Boer two weeks before he was eventually let go.
De Boer, 47, met with Palace chairman Steve Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman in late August with the men in charge leaving that meeting extremely underwhelmed and with no confidence that the Dutchman would turn things around.
Palace fans must be delighted Parish has now turned to former England manager Roy Hodgson.
Hodgson’s only real concern about taking the job centred on time management and his ability to still get to the Post Office in time to collect his pension each Wednesday. ❚ Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho appears to be missing out on something in life.
How else could you explain why he walked out of his interview with Match of the Day’s Steve Wilson after taking issue with a question about his refusal to shake Stoke boss Mark Hughes’ hand, following their teams’ 2-2 draw.
He then followed that up accusing his players of jeopardising Champions League victory over Basel by playing ‘‘Playstation football’’, despite their 3-0 win.
Weekend fixtures (UK time): Saturday, Crystal Palace v Southampton, Huddersfield Town v Leicester City, Liverpool v Burnley, Newcastle United v Stoke City, Watford v Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion v West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City; Sunday, Chelsea v Arsenal, Manchester United v Everton.