Premier League Injuries: Tottenham sweating on Bale

"With Aaron Lennon injured as well, Tottenham's goal threat is severely dampened, especially as Bale is responsible for eight of Spurs' last 13 league goals."
Best Bet: Lay Tottenham to score two or more goals @ 2.47/5

Gareth Bale, Matija Nastasic and Ciaran Clark will all be big misses for their clubs this weekend...

Ciaran Clark - Stoke v Aston Villa (Saturday, 15:00)
So precarious is Aston Villa's current position in the relegation places that they can ill afford to be without any if their first-choice starters at present. Even though Irish international Clark is still tender in years at just 23, he is still one of the more senior figures among this over youthful Villa side - making 34 appearances for his club this season. Most tellingly, Clark's recently rekindled partnership at centre back with Ron Vlaar, himself returning from a lengthy injury, produced Villa's first successive league wins of the entire season. His replacement Nathan Baker is prone to a mistake, as we have already seen against both Reading and Liverpool.
Recommended Bet: Back Stoke to win @ 2.1411/10

Gareth Bale - Tottenham v Everton (Sunday, 14:05, ESPN)
A thoroughly testing night for Tottenham fans against Basel on Thursday turned into a nightmare in the dying seconds when Gareth Bale's right ankle buckled underneath him in an innocuous looking incident. Spurs will have to wait until scan results come back to find out the extent of the damage but television replays suggest he'll be missing at least the next few weeks and possibly longer. With the battle for Champions League places blazing and an extremely tricky quarter-final second leg still to play, the timing couldn't be worse. With Aaron Lennon injured as well, Tottenham's goal threat is severely dampened, especially as Bale is responsible for eight of Spurs' last 13 league goals.
Best Bet: Lay Tottenham to score two or more goals @ 2.47/5
Matija Nastasic - Man City v Man United (Monday, 20:00, Sky Sports 1)
Man City's young defender has surely been one of the finds of the season. The 20-year-old Serbian has been so assured at the back for the champions and has not only displaced England defender Joleon Lescott, but he's started each of Serbia's World Cup qualifiers. Nastasic has made 18 Premier League appearances for Roberto Mancini's side so far but picked up an injury playing for his country in the last international break that renders him a derby doubt. Man United managed to score three goals in the reverse league fixture and, although City kept a clean sheet at home to Newcastle on Saturday, the last time the Serbian missed an away match, City let in three against Southampton. 
Recommended Bet: Back Man United to score two or more goals @ 2.111/10

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Premier League Injuries: Arsenal to feel Jack's absence

"Without Arsenal's best player available in Wilshere, Swansea's task of getting a result is made significantly easier."
Recommended Bet: Back the draw @ 3.55n/a

Christian Crowther files his weekly report on the Premier League's walking wounded and offers up a few bets to go with it...

Jack Wilshere - Swansea v Arsenal (Saturday, 15:00)
Any news of an injury to England's new golden boy will have Arsenal fans wincing. This is understandable when the Gunners' midfield maestro spent over 15 gruelling months on the sidelines as a result of his last injury. Mercifully, it's the other ankle this time and Wilshere should only miss a month out according to reports. However, the collateral damage on Arsenal's attempts to claim a top-four spot may be greater. While Arsenal did reclaim some credibility by beating a strangely under-par Bayern, they now face a Swansea side who have already humiliated them at the Emirates in the league and forced an FA Cup replay at the Liberty Stadium. Without Arsenal's best player available in Wilshere, Swansea's task of getting a result is made significantly easier.
Recommended Bet: Back the draw @ 3.55n/a

Pepe Reina - Southampton v Liverpool (Saturday, 15:00)
Liverpool's long-serving stopper has come in for his fair share of criticism in the last few seasons as the Spaniard's error count has crept up. However, there's no disputing that Reina would still walk into most Premier League starting XIs as his shot-stopping prowess is only rivalled by the very best. Against Wigan, Reina's eye-catching performance was essential in his side's clean sheet - his second in a row in the Premier League - so it was cruel that he wasn't able to play in the Tottenham game due to a calf injury. Now Liverpool travel to St Mary's, where they haven't fared well in recent times: losing on the south coast in three of their last four trips. His replacement Brad Jones has let in five goals in his last two starts.
Recommended Bet: Back Rickie Lambert to score @ 3.65n/a
Jimmy Kebe - Manchester United v Reading (Saturday 17:30, ESPN)
Reading find themselves in a right royal mess ahead of their uninviting trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. The visitors will kick-off this game second from bottom in the Premier League and with a caretaker manager in the dugout after owner Anton Zingarevich decided to oust Brian McDermott after the loss to Aston Villa. Reading's wafer-thin chances of pulling off a miraculous result against United will be further reduced by the absence of one of their best performers too. Jimmy Kebe has notched five goals for his struggling side this term and, alongside Jobi McAnuff, proves Reading's most likely provider from out on the wing. Without the Frenchman, the Royals' attacking threat is heavily blunted.
Recommended Bet: Back Manchester United to win to nil @ 2.0621/20

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Weekend Injuries: Everton left vulnerable without Jags

"Moyes' side haven't kept a clean sheet for eight matches and their quest for another against Wigan will suffer in the England man's absence."
Recommended Bet: Back both teams to score @ 1.8810/11  

Phil Jagielka, Lee Cattermole and Aaron Lennon will all be big misses for their clubs if ruled out this weekend...

Phil Jagielka - Everton v Wigan (Saturday, 12:45, ITV)
David Moyes was left spitting feathers after Adam Le Fondre's overzealous challenge ended the centre back's involvement in their win over Reading after just five minutes. Jagielka was stretchered off and has had to undergo surgery to stitch up a nasty gash to his ankle. This was part of a double defensive blow for the Everton manager who lost goalkeeper Tim Howard after another collision during the Oldham game. Jagielka has been a rock for the Toffees this season, missing just one game for the Merseysiders, which they lost to Leeds in the League Cup. Moyes' side haven't kept a clean sheet for eight matches and their quest for another against Wigan will suffer in the England man's absence.
Recommended Bet: Back both teams to score @ 1.8810/11

Lee Cattermole - QPR v Sunderland (Saturday, 15:00)
Sunderland's combative midfielder has endured a season blighted by injury, limiting him to just 14 Black Cat appearances to date. Cattermole is currently on the sidelines due to an ongoing knee problem which he aggravated against Arsenal on February 9. While the midfielder has his critics, mainly due to his disciplinary problems, Martin O'Neill's side have been seriously lacking someone with his drive and determination as they continue to slide in the wrong direction. Sunderland are in dire form ahead of their trip to Loftus Road, losing three of their last four, and Cattermole is just the sort of character they need against a QPR side fighting for their lives.
Recommended Bet: Back QPR to win @ 2.35/4

Aaron Lennon - Liverpool v Tottenham (Sunday, 16:00, Sky Sports 1)
While Gareth Bale continues to hog the limelight for his virtuoso displays, Lennon's own sublime form has been a little overshadowed. After a standout scoring performance against Arsenal last Sunday, Spurs' diminutive number seven was instrumental yet again in his side's emphatic 3-0 thumping of Inter on Thursday night before getting subbed off late on clutching a hamstring. He's now a real doubt to be available for their trip to Anfield on Sunday. This is a blow for Andre Villas-Boas, but one player who should benefit is Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Icelander is in the middle of a promising return to form, scoring twice in his last three games, and should be guaranteed another start against Liverpool.
Recommended Bet: Back Gylfi Sigurdsson to score @ 5.39/2

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Premier League Injuries: Man City to miss star striker

"Roberto Mancini will need no reminding that City haven’t won any of the last three games in which Aguero hasn’t started."

Recommended Bet: Back Liverpool and Man City to draw @ 3.55/2

Sergio Aguero, Richard Dunne and Jack Collison will all be big misses for their clubs this weekend...

Sergio Aguero - Liverpool v Man City (Sunday, 16:00)
Every Mancunian of the light blue persuasion had hearts firmly in their mouths when star man Aguero stayed down clutching his knee against Southampton. Thankfully for both the player and the entertainment value of the Premier League, the Argentine's injury is not as bad as first feared, though it will keep him out for another three weeks. To get an injury to a key figure is never ideal, but with this weekend's trip to Anfield in mind - where City haven't won in their last ten competitive visits, losing six - it couldn't have been much worse for the champions. If that particular stat is foreboding for Roberto Mancini, the Italian will need no reminding that City haven't won any of the last three games in which Aguero hasn't started.
Recommended Bet: Back Liverpool and Man City to draw @ 3.55/2

Richard Dunne - Aston Villa v Everton (Saturday, 15:00)
With the visit of an Everton team high on confidence, the absence of Dunne from Villa's rearguard will be sorely felt. The midlands outfit have only won one game in the last 13 that the Irish defender has not played from the start in, stretching back to the end of the 2010/11 season. It was noticeable that one of their bleakest runs in the previous campaign under Alex McLeish coincided with Dunne's absence through injury. Villa got off to a poor start against West Ham without him too, as Paul Lambert was forced into fielding the freshly assembled pairing of Ciaran Clark and Ron Vlaar. Next up is Everton, and if Marouane Fellaini is in the mood again, we all saw what he can do to a patched up defence against Manchester United.
Recommended Bet: Back Everton to win at Aston Villa @ 2.466/4

Jack Collison - Swansea v West Ham (Saturday, 12:45)
Unfortunately for Sam Allardyce, West Ham will travel to Wales without their own Welshman, the injury-blighted Jack Collison. The latest knee injury is another setback for Collison, whose creativity was evidently missing against Aston Villa where the Hammers failed to muster more than eight shots. The former trainee was effective in the Irons promotion season in 2011/12, with the Londoners winning 63% of the games when he started, contributing five league goals to the cause. Swansea started the season with an unequivocal bang too, so the Hammers will have to be at their best to grab something at the Liberty Stadium. West Ham will also miss the midfielder's familiarity with fellow internationals Ashley Williams and Neil Taylor.
Recommended Bet: Back Swansea to beat West Ham @ 2.166/5

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Thomas Levet and the 7 worst golf injuries

The Open / Dan Fitch / 13 July 2011 / Leave a Comment

Next time Thomas Levet will simply open a nice bottle of champagne.

Dan Fitch takes a look at the seemingly peaceful world of golf and finds hidden dangers at every turn.

On the face of it the sport of golf isn't a particularly dangerous one. There's no physical contact between the participants and no need to break out into as much as a jog. What could go wrong?

Well the ball is pretty hard for one, as are the clubs. There's also some rather dangerous elements around like deep bunkers and the odd water hazard - as Thomas Levet recently found out to his cost.

To celebrate his win at his native French Open, Levet jumped into the nearest lake. His over-excitement resulted in a broken shin, which would require surgery to insert screws and a metal plate. He will now miss the Open at Sandwich.

Levet is not the only golfer to have injured himself playing the gentle game. Here's the footage of his leg break, along with some other harrowing golf injuries.

Thomas Levet got more than he bargained for when he took the plunge.

A man uses his fat stomach as a tee and has to deal with predictably painful repercussions.

The rest of these injuries are stupid, but at least they're accidental.

Never go golfing with children or animals.

You'd think you'd be safe in the crowd, but watch out if Stewart Cink is around.

If your golf cart ever falls on it's side, don't try to get it back on it's wheels like this.

It's bad enough to suffer a broken bone when playing indoor mini-golf, but it's much worse when your wife is filming the sorry episode and is in hysterics at your pain.

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