In a moment that stunned football watchers around the world and even left players on the field badly shaken, Andre Gomes, a midfielder for Everton, suffered a horrendous ankle injury during his team's English Premier League (EPL) match against Tottenham Hotspurs.
The shocking injury, which left Gomes' ankle twisted almost 90 degrees occurred in the 80th minute of the match. The Portuguese footballer was in the midfield taking the ball forward when he was tackled by Tottenham forward Son Heung-min. The tackle went bad and Gomes fell on the ground writhing in pain.
The commentators and crowds around the ground didn't immediately realise how bad the injury was. When the camera focused on the 26-years old midfielder surrounded by his teammates and players from the opposing side, suddenly the whole crowd, as well as the commentators, gasped.
The Korean player Son looked horrified and in tears at what he had inadvertently caused. Another player from the Tottenham side, Serge Aurier, who too was in the process of tackling Gomes as he was falling on the ground, also looked disconsolate. The referees got into the act and Son was red-carded. But it was clear that the game was the last thing on his mind as he couldn't hold himself together looking at the condition his opponent was in.
Soon, Gomes was stretchered off the field by medics and taken to the nearby Aintree Hospital. The diagnosis revealed a fracture-dislocation which would require surgery. While the Portuguese midfielder was troubled by physical pain, Heung-min was psychologically scarred.
Aurier too was in no condition to continue playing for a while and had to be substituted. After the game, players from the Everton team went to console Son. Many argued that the red card given to him was harsh as his offence wasn't as serious as to be chiefly responsible for the injury. However, it was clear that even if the 27-year-old hadn't been ordered off the field, he would most likely have not continued.
The surgery on Andre Gomes would be conducted on Monday. The pictures of the broken ankle of the injured midfielder have flooded social media. The photographs are hard to look at and would send a shiver down the spine of most people.
