Injury news.

[trueblue64]

Mario Balotelli is having tests to ascertain whether he damaged his knee cartilage during his scoring debut for Manchester City in the Europa League qualifier against Timisoara yesterday.

Balotelli went for a scan today and, though he expressed confidence he would be fit to make his first appearance at Eastlands against Liverpool on Monday, City are waiting for the official prognosis to discover whether the £22.5m arrival from Internazionale may join his fellow new signings Jérôme Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov on the injury list.

Kolarov is having an ankle operation and could be missing for six weeks while Boateng will have to wait for his debut after a gashed knee became infected. There are also concerns about the fitness of Shay Given, with the Republic of Ireland international not flying back with the rest of the squad from Romania and instead going to see a specialist in Germany about a back problem.

Having lost his place to Joe Hart, Given is a target for his former manager Mark Hughes at Fulham, but the London club are keen to make sure he is fully fit before turning their interest into an official approach.

Balotelli's injury came in stoppage time at the end of a game in which he scored the winner as a second-half substitute, putting his new club in a commanding position to qualify in the return leg on Thursday.

The Italy international dedicated the goal to his adoptive family but his right knee was heavily strapped and he was walking with a pronounced limp when he left the Stadionul Dan Paltinisanu.

"It was the kind of debut I dreamed of," he said. "But my right leg aches. I think it may be a cartilage thing and the problem is I do not have much muscle on this side.

"It wasn't the result of a tackle, nobody touched me, I simply over-extended the knee. It's a bit of a problem, but I'm sure it will go away fast and that I will be available against Liverpool."

[Goaters 103]

That sounds like an op and 4 weeks out to me. Any time you injure your knee with nobody near you, it isnt good.

With Kolarov, Boateng and poss Balotelli injured already its a good job we stupidly, selfishly and suicidally assembled a squad - anyone would think we had a plan, though obviously most of the media dont!

[avoidconfusion]

This is a fucking joke. Season starts and already we have 3 of our new signings sidelined for weeks,

[CitizenYank]

It's the beginning of a long season, that's why we have the depth we do. I long ago learned to
accept the idea of injuries in real football.

Sorry I am going to go off on a rant here. But my fellow Yankee friends have been giving me stick
on the difference between 'soccer' and Real Football.

I am a Yank and I HATE NFL football. I mean I fucking hate it.
It is some guy getting tackled and some 350 pound pituitary retard falling on his leg
and tearing all his ligaments or slams his head into the artificial turf
and he has post-concussion for the rest of his life. I don't mind college football because I'm
from the state of Oregon and college football is a religion in the Northwest, much like Manchester
Football. But in college football he players aren't as fast and the hits aren't as severe,
by contrast the leg injuries in 'futbol' seem mild in comparison.

I was watching the Arsenal/Wigan game where Aaron Ramsey got hurt and I didn't
understand the big hullabaloo. After years of Monday Nigh Football watching players like Napoleon Mccallum
hyper extending their knees to a 90 degree angle, or seeing Lawrence Taylor break Joe Theisman's leg
out of it's sock.

But one great reasons I love football is he's only out six weeks. His season isn't over? Yeah!!
And we even have an experienced backup to play instead, not a rookie quarterback from Northern
Minnesota State Technical University.

I'd be willing to bet this is a big reasons why American youths are beginning to take up football. The money
may not be as good, but you have a better chance of not getting hurt.

[MBash721]

It's the beginning of a long season, that's why we have the depth we do. I long ago learned to
accept the idea of injuries in real football.

Sorry I am going to go off on a rant here. But my fellow Yankee friends have been giving me stick
on the difference between 'soccer' and Real Football.

I am a Yank and I HATE NFL football. I mean I fucking hate it.
It is some guy getting tackled and some 350 pound pituitary retard falling on his leg
and tearing all his ligaments or slams his head into the artificial turf
and he has post-concussion for the rest of his life. I don't mind college football because I'm
from the state of Oregon and college football is a religion in the Northwest, much like Manchester
Football. But in college football he players aren't as fast and the hits aren't as severe,
by contrast the leg injuries in 'futbol' seem mild in comparison.

I was watching the Arsenal/Wigan game where Aaron Ramsey got hurt and I didn't
understand the big hullabaloo. After years of Monday Nigh Football watching players like Napoleon Mccallum
hyper extending their knees to a 90 degree angle, or seeing Lawrence Taylor break Joe Theisman's leg
out of it's sock.

But one great reasons I love football is he's only out six weeks. His season isn't over? Yeah!!
And we even have an experienced backup to play instead, not a rookie quarterback from Northern
Minnesota State Technical University.

I'd be willing to bet this is a big reasons why American youths are beginning to take up football. The money
may not be as good, but you have a better chance of not getting hurt.

Describing football that way is just completely ignorant. Living in the US and playing both soccer and football growing up, they are too VERY different games, but to say that its just a 350 lb guy breaking some dudes leg every play is just plain ridiculous. Football is a MUCH more complicated game. I know that when I quit playing soccer for football, it was one of the hardest transitions to make. There is so much to learn and if you fall behind, you are screwed. Eventually due to injuries in lacrosse, I had to make a tough decision to return to soccer and quit football. Soccer is one sport that you never lose, because 99% of it is instincts. Being a goalkeeper and playing against top competition around the US, I was still able to stay in top form even after being out of the game for 3 years. So in all honesty, I think that football is a much more physically and mentally demanding sport than soccer, but both are definitely very tough to succeed in. I would also consider myself to be a much larger football fan than soccer fan. Nothing beats watching my Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and then watching the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

[CitizenYank]

It's the beginning of a long season, that's why we have the depth we do. I long ago learned to
accept the idea of injuries in real football.

Sorry I am going to go off on a rant here. But my fellow Yankee friends have been giving me stick
on the difference between 'soccer' and Real Football.

I am a Yank and I HATE NFL football. I mean I fucking hate it.
It is some guy getting tackled and some 350 pound pituitary retard falling on his leg
and tearing all his ligaments or slams his head into the artificial turf
and he has post-concussion for the rest of his life. I don't mind college football because I'm
from the state of Oregon and college football is a religion in the Northwest, much like Manchester
Football. But in college football he players aren't as fast and the hits aren't as severe,
by contrast the leg injuries in 'futbol' seem mild in comparison.

I was watching the Arsenal/Wigan game where Aaron Ramsey got hurt and I didn't
understand the big hullabaloo. After years of Monday Nigh Football watching players like Napoleon Mccallum
hyper extending their knees to a 90 degree angle, or seeing Lawrence Taylor break Joe Theisman's leg
out of it's sock.

But one great reasons I love football is he's only out six weeks. His season isn't over? Yeah!!
And we even have an experienced backup to play instead, not a rookie quarterback from Northern
Minnesota State Technical University.

I'd be willing to bet this is a big reasons why American youths are beginning to take up football. The money
may not be as good, but you have a better chance of not getting hurt.

Describing football that way is just completely ignorant. Living in the US and playing both soccer and football growing up, they are too VERY different games, but to say that its just a 350 lb guy breaking some dudes leg every play is just plain ridiculous. Football is a MUCH more complicated game. I know that when I quit playing soccer for football, it was one of the hardest transitions to make. There is so much to learn and if you fall behind, you are screwed. Eventually due to injuries in lacrosse, I had to make a tough decision to return to soccer and quit football. Soccer is one sport that you never lose, because 99% of it is instincts. Being a goalkeeper and playing against top competition around the US, I was still able to stay in top form even after being out of the game for 3 years. So in all honesty, I think that football is a much more physically and mentally demanding sport than soccer, but both are definitely very tough to succeed in. I would also consider myself to be a much larger football fan than soccer fan. Nothing beats watching my Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and then watching the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

I may seem ignorant, but I still hate the NFL.

[Michigan Blue]

So in all honesty, I think that football is a much more physically and mentally demanding sport than soccer, but both are definitely very tough to succeed in. I would also consider myself to be a much larger football fan than soccer fan. Nothing beats watching my Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and then watching the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

[CitizenYank]

So in all honesty, I think that football is a much more physically and mentally demanding sport than soccer, but both are definitely very tough to succeed in. I would also consider myself to be a much larger football fan than soccer fan. Nothing beats watching my Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and then watching the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Listen I am sorry if I offended anyone. I am sorry my rant was out of bounds.
Just got sick of my friends bashing soccer without end.
And I can't turn on the sports radio without hearing about NFL preseason camps.

[Crossie]

Get Mario in the oxygen tent with the horse palcenta being rubbed over his knee by 12 virgins.

[MBash721]

So in all honesty, I think that football is a much more physically and mentally demanding sport than soccer, but both are definitely very tough to succeed in. I would also consider myself to be a much larger football fan than soccer fan. Nothing beats watching my Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and then watching the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Get used to it... lol

[simon12]

So in all honesty, I think that football is a much more physically and mentally demanding sport than soccer, but both are definitely very tough to succeed in. I would also consider myself to be a much larger football fan than soccer fan. Nothing beats watching my Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and then watching the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Get used to it... lol

RUGBY.....It`s like NFL without FANNYS

[Beefymcfc]

So in all honesty, I think that football is a much more physically and mentally demanding sport than soccer, but both are definitely very tough to succeed in. I would also consider myself to be a much larger football fan than soccer fan. Nothing beats watching my Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and then watching the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Get used to it... lol

Spot the difference?

Even our women don't need pads ;-)

[simon12]

So in all honesty, I think that football is a much more physically and mentally demanding sport than soccer, but both are definitely very tough to succeed in. I would also consider myself to be a much larger football fan than soccer fan. Nothing beats watching my Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, and then watching the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Get used to it... lol

Spot the difference?

Even our women don't need pads ;-)

Brilliant Beefy...Fucking NFL.

[avoidconfusion]

Boateng out for 6 weeks apparently because of... wait for it... because of getting hit by a trolley on the airplane which aggravated his injury....

[Im_Spartacus]

Boateng out for 6 weeks apparently because of... wait for it... because of getting hit by a trolley on the airplane which aggravated his injury....

Believe it or not, many years ago, Merlene Ottey was a flight attendant on a flight I was on. Maybe she is back at it, doing the 100m dash down the aisle and cracked him at 25mph

[Ted Hughes]

Boateng out for 6 weeks apparently because of... wait for it... because of getting hit by a trolley on the airplane which aggravated his injury....

Believe it or not, many years ago, Merlene Ottey was a flight attendant on a flight I was on. Maybe she is back at it, doing the 100m dash down the aisle and cracked him at 25mph

Did her arse look good in the uniform? I bet it did.

[Wonderwall]

Boateng out for 6 weeks apparently because of... wait for it... because of getting hit by a trolley on the airplane which aggravated his injury....

Believe it or not, many years ago, Merlene Ottey was a flight attendant on a flight I was on. Maybe she is back at it, doing the 100m dash down the aisle and cracked him at 25mph

Did her arse look good in the uniform? I bet it did.

nothing to do with the subject but aussie Cathy Freeman lived across the road from me for the whole time she was in the uk for the commonwealth games.

on topic Trolley dollys get uglier by the flight!

[Im_Spartacus]

Boateng out for 6 weeks apparently because of... wait for it... because of getting hit by a trolley on the airplane which aggravated his injury....

Believe it or not, many years ago, Merlene Ottey was a flight attendant on a flight I was on. Maybe she is back at it, doing the 100m dash down the aisle and cracked him at 25mph

Did her arse look good in the uniform? I bet it did.

I can't really say, I was only likkle, but I thought she was FIT

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Boateng out for 6 weeks apparently because of... wait for it... because of getting hit by a trolley on the airplane which aggravated his injury....

Believe it or not, many years ago, Merlene Ottey was a flight attendant on a flight I was on. Maybe she is back at it, doing the 100m dash down the aisle and cracked him at 25mph

is there a joke somewhere I don't get or is that true? Would be one of the more obscure things out there. Merlene Ottey serving you mashed potatoes and (rubber) chicken.

And you American football boys, I tried asking you about College Football rankings and how the bowl games are decided last year but no one could explain it to me. New season about to start so why don't you give it a go again. For example, Boise State Broncos had excellent season yet never had chance to compete for national championship. I've been watching quite alot of it in past few seasons and they are one of the better teams I've seen. Yet some teams seem to be consistently overhyped and have ranking that don't really match their quality. Also ranking of some players when they enter NFL draft seems really weird. Lot of emphasis is but on mythical 'intangibles' when talking about quarterbacks yet in other positions it doesn't really matter if you have few jail convictions.

[avoidconfusion]

Is Yaya injured as well now? Didn't take part in the training yesterday apparently...