Stephen Ireland's gruesome injury after horror tackle by Maynor Figueroa

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Exclusive: Shocking new picture emerges showing huge gash in Stoke midfielder's calf which left him needing 10 stitches (warning: contains graphic content)

 

This gruesome picture reveals the full extent of the damage to Stephen Ireland's calf after Maynor Figueroa's "shocking challenge" on Saturday.

 

Ireland is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after Figueroa's late tackle which Stoke City manager Mark Hughes insisted could have ended the midfielder's career.

 

Figueroa, the Hull City defender, was not even‎ booked by referee Neil Swarbrick but Ireland later needed 10 stitches and is expected to miss a minimum three weeks.

 

This picture was taken at half-time, shortly after the tackle, and clearly shows how Figueroa's studs left a huge gash in Ireland's calf.

 

Hughes said: "It was a shocking challenge. It could have finished Stephen"s ca‎reer.

 

"Why it is not a straight red, I have no idea. There has been a lot of talk of challenges recently but this was worse than any of them.

 

"We have lost Stephen for any number of weeks. He is in a bad way. He has come in at half-time, rolled his sock down and everyone was taken aback by the severity of the gash.

 

"The referees have got to get their act together. The officials are finding it very difficult to get the key decisions right."

 

Stoke went on to win the game 1-0 after Peter Crouch's 71st-minute header.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11442852/Revealed-Stephen-Irelands-gruesome-injury-after-horror-tackle-by-Maynor-Figueroa.html