The Premier League clash between Fulham and Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon was marred by a horrendous injury suffered by defender Chris Basham.
Basham was involved in an innocuous collision with a Fulham player before his leg appeared to get caught in the grass and go from under him.
An awkward slip followed, yet television pictures would quickly show the extent of the injury, as Basham‘s leg appeared to have snapped.
The defender is set to miss the remainder of the Premier League season at least, although these injuries are often very difficult to repair through surgery, with success usually depending on whether the break was clean.
“No-one wants to see that ever and when you’re involved in it and it’s one of your players it’s far far worse,” explained Sheffield United coach Paul Heckingbottom.
“There’s no diagnosis, but everyone’s seen the pictures. It’s terrible. It’s horrific.”
Play was stopped for 13 minutes
After the initial injury occurred there was a long period of angst around the stadium as Basham was treated by medical professionals.
He was spoken to by Fulham defender Tim Ream, who refused to leave Basham’s side, talking to the Sheffield United player as he laid on the ground.
The football match was stopped for 13 minutes before Basham was carried off the pitch on a stretcher and taken to St George’s hospital in London, not far from Craven Cottage.
“He’s where he needs to be, with the doctors and medics in hospital, it’s something that you never want to see,” Heckingbottom concluded.
“Everyone knows how popular he is and everyone will be thinking about him.”