Sneijder suffers “serious knee injury”

August 4, 2008

Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder could miss the 2008-09 season after suffering a “serious knee injury” in Sunday’s clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The Dutch midfielder, one of the most impressive performers at the summers Euro 2008 tournament finals, suffered serious knee damage during a heavy tackle by Arsenal’s Abou Diaby in Sunday’s match in London, the Spanish club said.

“Initial tests show serious damage to his knee ligaments, but the player will undergo complementary exams including an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury,” Real said on their website.

Madrid’s German coach Bernd Schuster expressed his concern at the seriousness of the injury and is preparing to learn that Sneijder could be out for “a very long time”.

“It’s really tough. He is in a lot of pain and we predict the worst,” the club quoted him as saying.

Sneijder developed into a key player for the La Liga champions following his move from Ajax in 2007.

He was about to be joined in midfield by his Dutch international team-mate Rafael Van der Vaart, who is joining Real Madrid from Hamburg.

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