Lengthy lay-off for Sweden's Edman
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Article summary
Wigan Athletic FC defender Erik Edman is destined to miss Sweden's UEFA EURO 2008™ campaign in the summer after sustaining a knee injury at the weekend.
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Bad fall
The 29-year-old, who joined the Premier League outfit in January from Stade Rennais FC, fell awkwardly in his own penalty area when attempting to clear under pressure, and although the full extent of the injury has yet to be revealed, early estimates suggest the full-back could be sidelined for up to six months.
'Disappointed'
"It looks as though he has ruptured a cruciate ligament which will be diagnosed within 24 hours and he could be out until October," said Wigan manager Steve Bruce. Sweden assistant coach Roland Andersson added: "Erik said that when it happened he had a feeling that it was serious. He's naturally very disappointed but we'll have to wait until Monday before we know for sure."
Regular performer
Edman's injury will come as a huge setback for national team coach Lars Lagerbäck since the left-back was a key figure during qualificaton, completing ten of the 12 matches as Sweden finished runners-up in Group F behind Spain.