Cesc Fabregas fansite

Above is a clip of Cesc visiting a clinic in Barcelona to seek a second opinion on his injury. You can view another hq clip of him leaving and speaking with the media here.

Sport.es and EFE have reported that Cesc will not need to undergo surgery. So that is some good news. Cesc visited a specialist, Dr. Cujat, in Barcelona today and told media, “After consulting with the best doctor possible, we have decided not to operate. If it had been necessary I would have done so without hesitation, but the doctor does not recommend surgery, because I am young and have not damaged the meniscus.”

An optimistic Cesc added, “My intention is to return as soon as possible to help my team-mates. I will endeavor to return as soon as possible as there is nothing I like more than playing football.

“It’s my first serious injury and it had to happen some day. You can not always be injury free. Now I must remain optimistic and look to the future.”

He also said that he bore Xabi Alonso no hard-feelings, “Xabi has been very concerned for me. He came to see me after the game and we have been exchanging messages. He even called me before my consultation with the doctor. These things happen in football, Xabi is a great friend of mine.”

Sport.es reports that Cesc will spend his Christmas with friends and family in Barcelona for the first time since joining Arsenal. So that is a slight silver-lining for him! We hope he has a great Christmas!

Cesc ruled out until April 2009

Arsene Wenger has given a press conference and advised that Cesc’s injury will rule him out of playing until April 2009. Here are his comments from Arsenal.com

“The news is not good because it is a partial rupture of the medial knee ligament which is taking three to four months injury time,” revealed Wenger at his pre-match press conference. “We count four, we know he will be working very hard to come back earlier but I count four months.

“How much [we will miss him] is difficult to say, the only thing we can say for sure is that we will miss him of course. We have to find a way to compensate for the fact he will not be on the pitch, and give everybody a bit more. I am sure we can deal with it. When he comes back he can help us to get over the line in the final months.

“The challenge [by Alonso] was fair and honest, I have no problem with it. It is exactly what I have said many times, it is the kind of thing you accept in the game that can happen. I don’t feel there was any intention to hurt, it was purely accidental.

“The first really difficult period [for Fabregas] is the first six weeks, when you are in a brace and cannot move at all. You cannot practise. When they take the brace off, you can have rehabilitation and be busy all day. It is a massive blow because Cesc is a competitor who wants to play every day. If you play six games in a week he will want to play six games.

“It is a blow [to lose him] of course, but we can show we have the strengths to deal with it. Of course it is a blow to lose Fabregas in the middle of the season - for four months - but it is a good opportunity to show we can deal with it and have the needed strengths.” You can watch his press conference here.

Let’s all hope Cesc has a swift recovery. Also, let’s hope that he and his loved ones are still able to enjoy a merry Christmas despite this bad news.

If you would like to send a ‘get well soon’ message to Cesc I would suggest that you send a message via the contact page of Cesc’s official site or alternatively email contacte@cescfabregassoler.com. I will also gather up all of the nice comments that you leave here and send them through to the official site later. The official site is run by Cesc’s family. They may not have the time to respond to each message, but they can let Cesc know that he was in your thoughts and prayers at this time.

{UPDATE - Arsenal.com have advised that immediately after the game Arsene Wenger told Arsenal TV Online that Cesc Fabregas could be sidelined for “two or three weeks”. However in his post-match press conference the Manager advised that he could not be sure until Cesc was properly assessed. So at this stage the length of time Cesc may be out injured is unknown. They also announced that they will post news on Cesc’s injury on Tuesday afternoon. The full article is here.}

Sad news. Cesc Fabregas was injured in a 50-50 tackle with Xabi Alonso during today’s draw at home to Liverpool. He appeared to go in to the tackle at full-stretch and Alonso, who was running, connected with the ball and Cesc’s knee. His studs appeared to go into Cesc’s knee. It was an unfortunate accident, and Alonso visited Cesc straight after the final whistle to check on how he was doing.

Arsene Wenger told reporters after the match, “It’s a medial knee ligament injury, I don’t know how long he will be out. It is difficult to assess; it could be one week or three weeks. Of course it is a blow, you don’t want to lose a player like that but we have to cope with it.”

Cesc will have medical tests tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage and how long he will need to recover. So let’s all pray for the best possible news.

As for the match. I don’t know where to begin. Howard Webb made himself a contender for worst referee in the world. The term woeful doesn’t get near it. Read more »