Bad news for Aston Villa - Shay Given's hamstring injury will rule him out until the new year.
We've already had one fairly major injury at Villa Park with Chicharito being stretchered off, and now it's Aston Villa's turn for some bad news. Goalkeeper Shay Given, who was signed over the summer to a five-year contract, has also been forced off the pitch after incurring a hamstring injury when he came out to clear the ball for a throw-in.
Having made sure all was safe, the 35-year-old goalkeeper collapsed in pain, clutching his left hamstring. Brad Guzen immediately began warming, and the Republic of Ireland international was carried off the pitch (where the stretcher was I'm not really sure) and replaced by his American backup.
This isn't an injury that will have much of an effect on the match - Given had already been beaten by Phil jones and it doesn't look like this will end up particularly close - but if he's out for more than a couple of weeks this is bad news indeed for the hosts. It's 1-0 to Manchester United at Villa Park.
Shay Given Hamstring Injury Sidelines Goalkeeper For Month
Aston Villa are being severely punished for perpetrating the worst impression of a football match in the history of the English top flight. Cosmic displeasure has made itself manifest as a hamstring tear to goalkeeper Shay Given, who's one of the only players on the squad who've looked anything like competent so far this season. Villa manager Alex McLeish has confirmed that the Republic of Ireland international will be out of action for a month following the injury sustained during the club's 1-0 loss to United in the aforementioned worst match ever:
As McLeish says, that means a month of American backup Brad Guzan for the Villans. Guzan's hardly a spectacular player, but he's unlikely to be a liability - that role falls to the defence he'll be standing behind. Without Given bailing them out all of the time, Villa's position in the table could drop pretty quickly.
For more on the Given injury and all things Villa, check out 7500 to Holte.
Dec 05 3:31p by Graham MacAree - 0 comments