Every football fan - no matter who they support - is wishing Harvey Elliott a speedy recovery.The 18-year-old suffered what appears to be a dislocated ankle after a tackle from Leeds’ Pascal Struijk. It wasn’t just the nature of the injury that had fans wishing him all the best but the fact it came weeks into his breakthrough season at Anfield was a sickener.Elliott has impressed so far in the Premier League and was appearing in his third consecutive start for Jurgen Klopp’s side. He could well miss the rest of the 2021/22 season.
ENTER GIVEAWAYKlopp rates him incredibly highly and it’s easy to see why.While it’s unclear exactly how long Elliott will be sidelined, it’s certainly not the first horrific injury we’ve witnessed in the Premier League.In a list we compiled in 2019 after another awful injury (more on that particular one later), we’ve looked at 13 of the worst injuries in the league’s history and asked ‘what happened next?’Quiz: Can you name the footballer based on their Wikipedia page?1. Gary Mabbutt - almost lost his eye (1993)
Recovery time: Three monthsMabbutt was elbowed by John Fashanu and needed a metal plate in his cheek and two hours of surgery to save his eye.The former Tottenham defender needed a protective mask when he did return to the pitch.
2. David Busst - double leg fracture (1996)
Recovery time: Never played again
Possibly the worst injury the Premier League has ever seen. Buust’s broken fibula came through his skin, leaving blood on the Old Trafford pitch.
The nearby Peter Schmeichel vomited as a result, while Busst never played again. In truth, he was lucky he didn’t have to have his leg amputated.
3. Luc Nilis - double leg fracture (2000)
Recovery time: Never played again
The highly-rated striker was only playing in his third match for Aston Villa when he clashed with goalkeeper Richard Wright. The injury became infected and there was fear he would lose his leg. He kept his leg but lost his career.
4. Alf-Inge Haaland - horrific knee injury (2001)
Recovery time: A few days (technically)
It’s often thought that Roy Keane’s horrible tackle on Haaland ended his career. It didn’t - although it’s cited as one of the reasons the former Man City midfielder eventually retired two years later.
5. Djibril Cisse - broken tibia and fibula (2004)
Recovery time: Seven months
The first of two horrific legs breaks for Cisse. Against Blackburn, he caught his studs in the turf breaking both his tibia and fibula. He made a miraculous recovery within seven months but suffered an identical injury just two years later for France.
6. Pedro Mendes - knocked out and suffered a seizure (2006)
Recovery time: Discharged the next day
This isn’t so much the worst injury but possibly the worst tackle. Ben Thatcher’s challenge was awful and left Mendes having a seizure and being rushed to hospital. Fortunately, he made a full recovery.
7. Petr Cech - depressed skull fracture (2006)
Recovery time: Three months
An injury that saw Cech wear protective headgear for the rest of his career. After Stephen Hunt’s leg caught him, pieces of bone went into Cech’s head and two metal plates were fitted in hospital. Three months later, Cech was back but it could have been a whole lot worse.
8. Eduardo - broken leg and dislocated ankle (2008)
Recovery time: One year
Arsene Wenger suggested Birmingham City defender, Martin Taylor, should have been banned for life for his tackle on Eduardo. The replays were disguisting.
9. Aaron Ramsey - double leg break (2010)
Recovery time: Eight months
Another terrible injury sustained by Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. This time, Ryan Shawcross clattered into Aaron Ramsey ending in a double leg break.
10. Hatem Ben Arfa - double leg break (2010)
Recovery time: Eight months
No prizes for guessing which Manchester City player produced the tackle to cause Ben Arfa’s double leg break. Yep, Nigel de Jong…
11. Ryan Mason - fractured skull (2017)
Recovery time: Never played again
Mason clashed heads with Gary Cahill in a match between Chelsea and Hull and suffered a fractured skull. It was declared too dangerous to allow him back onto a pitch.
12. Andre Gomes - fractured dislocated ankle (2019)
Recovery time: Four months
Elliott can take inspiration that Gomes suffered a similar injury and was back playing within four months. Similarly, Son Heung-min was sent off for the tackle that led to Gomes’ injury, much like Struijk.
13. Raul Jimenez - fractured skill (2020)
Recovery time: Eight months
Like Mason, Jimenez suffered a fractured skull after a clash with David Luiz in November 2020. He missed the rest of the season but has returned this campaign, which is fantastic to see.
