7:40am Wednesday 24th September 2008
By Paul Fraser
GARETH SOUTHGATE last night apologised to Sir Alex Ferguson amid fears a horror tackle from Emanuel Pogatetz has left young Manchester United prospect Rodrigo Possebom with a broken leg.
Pogatetz threw himself into a fully-committed challenge with the Brazilian in the 67th minute and, although his first foot connected with the ball, his trailing boot landed in the midfielder’s shin.
Possebom required oxygen on the pitch and, after lengthy treatment that led to nine minutes of injury-time, was stretchered off.
There were protests from the Boro dug-out which angered Ferguson.
“It looks a really bad one,” said Ferguson. “He made his first team debut and it was horrendous. Everyone was numb about it. The thing that annoys me about these challenges, it’s always the case that the player involved claims his innocence.
“Their bench was screaming ‘it’s never a sending off’. Gareth Southgate was very good and he understood the gravity of it. He was apologetic and it was a terrible tackle. I don’t want to see it again.”
Possebom will learn the extent of the damage today, with concerns that the South American has broken his leg.
If he has it will bring back memories of Pogatetz breaking the leg of Yaroslav Kharitonskiy in the final game of his loan spell at Spartak Moscow in 2005, before moving to Boro.
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