Las misfortunas de Valencia

I may have made the word "misfortunas" up, but you know what I mean.

When Valencia was tackled in the second half and I saw his face after he'd looked down at his left leg, I was mortified.

I'm pretty weak when it comes to seeing horrific injuries, so I immediately stood up, walked over the computer and wrote some stuff for the review article on the match—all the while hearing Martin Tyler and Andy Gray discussing how "you know it's serious when the opponent looks to the benches straight away, visibly distressed" and the "tragic" circumstances which Ryan Giggs was brought on under. All I remember was seeing his ankle point in a direction which it was never designed to point in.

This reeks of Alan Smith's injury in 2006.

And looking back, I really feel that he was never the same after he came back... so there's always that dread which comes, mingled with anticipation, that precedes his eventual first game back...

But, on the bright side, this is what the manutd.com site had to say about his surgery:

Valencia is likely to be out of action for a while, but remains in good spirits.
"The operation went well," a club spokesperson told ManUtd.com.

And Alan Smith has come out saying: "It's a hard road back. But the thought of getting back on the field keeps you going. He's in good hands. United's medical team is excellent."

And he'd definitely know what he's talking about.

So let's hope for a rápida recuperación for our Ecuadorian winger, and we desperately hope to see him back galloping down the wing for us soon!