Chapter 774: February Shrouded in Bad Luck (2)

‘This training intensity is so high… and with Chen Yu not here, I’m really not sure about this!’

‘Never mind getting injured, what about the fatigue after the session? Without Chen Yu, how are the players supposed to recover? How are they supposed to play in tomorrow’s match?’

“Don’t worry. Chen will be here after training. He went to the clinic; he has an important patient today.”

Nelson smiled.

With the World Cup drawing near, Chen Yu had become busy again.

At the clinic, Chen Yu was waiting at the entrance of the medical center when his patient arrived.

“Sven, we meet again!”

Chen Yu smiled, stepped forward, and gave Eriksson a hug.

The night before last, a frantic series of calls from Eriksson had woken Chen Yu.

On the eve of the World Cup, one of his players had gotten injured. Again.

“Michael, you look to be in pretty good spirits,” Chen Yu said, smiling at Michael Owen, who was beside them.

“Sir.”

The young man, who was in a wheelchair, gave a wry smile and shook Chen Yu’s hand.

“Don’t worry. It’s a minor issue.”

Chen Yu patted his shoulder, then turned to Eriksson. “Really, I’m not just trying to make you feel better. It’s not a major problem.”

The day before yesterday, during a match between Newcastle and Everton, Owen had been making a run with the ball when he was tackled by a defender. He went down on the spot and couldn’t get back up.

He eventually limped back to the locker room.

A post-match examination revealed the unfortunate news: a fractured metatarsal!

It was the exact same type of injury Beckham had suffered before the 2002 World Cup.

The only difference was that Beckham had fractured his second metatarsal, whereas Owen had fractured his fifth.

Eriksson gave a bitter smile. “Chen, I’m not overreacting. I’m just worried we’ll see a repeat of Gary’s tragedy.”

Back in ’02, both Beckham and Gary Neville had gotten injured one after the other.

The difference was that Neville’s injury happened later, and unlike Beckham, he had fractured his fifth metatarsal.

The fifth metatarsal is the bone connecting the little toe to the ankle. It also affects the arch’s mobility, making it the most problematic type of metatarsal fracture. It typically requires surgery to set and stabilize the bone.

“That was because the timing was too tight back then; there simply wasn’t enough time,” Chen Yu said. “We have several months now. This won’t affect his ability to play in the World Cup at all.”

When Neville got injured in ’02, it was already late April. There was no way he could have made it back in time for the World Cup.

But this year was different. There’s still plenty of time.

Eriksson laughed bitterly. He was at his wit’s end. Every year, right before the World Cup, some of his players would inevitably get injured.

“Calm down. Just think about Louis—he’s much calmer than you are,” Chen Yu said, patting Eriksson’s arm comfortingly.

Then he added, “And by the way, don’t be like Frank.”

Eriksson didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Last December, a dark cloud had descended over Bar?a. Their midfield maestro, Xavi, had his dreams shattered on the training ground when he tore the cruciate ligament in his right knee.

At the time, Bar?a’s head coach, Frank Rijkaard, was already bedridden with a lung infection. Hearing the news, his condition immediately worsened.

In stark contrast, the Spanish National Team’s coach, old Luis Aragonés, remained perfectly calm. He had the Bar?a Club immediately arrange for Xavi to fly to the United States for treatment with Chen Yu. He even cheerfully reassured the media and fans, claiming that with a miracle worker like Chen Yu, Xavi would definitely not miss this year’s World Cup.

And right now, Xavi was in fact a patient at the clinic.

So, in comparison, Eriksson really did need to calm down a bit.

“Alright, Chen. I’m putting everything in your hands.” Eriksson’s expression was grave, as if he were entrusting his entire future to him.

Chen Yu nodded and had a nurse arrange for Owen’s admission.

This February must have been the month Lady Luck decided to take a vacation.

On the very night Owen was admitted, Chen Yu received another frantic series of calls, this time from Ferguson.

When he picked up, Ferguson’s voice was so somber he sounded as if Queen Elizabeth II had just passed away.

Their midfield enforcer, Alan Smith, had been stretchered off the field during an FA Cup match that day after making a desperate diving block to stop a shot.

He had fractured his left tibia and dislocated his ankle.

A true tough guy—he had actually tried to stand up on his own after the fracture.

Eriksson, who hadn’t yet left the United States, was dealt another devastating blow. He was heartbroken.

The February curse wasn’t over yet.

Just one day later, the Prince of Rome, Totti, was fouled by a defender during a league match. As he fell, Lady Luck once again looked the other way. His studs got caught in the turf, causing his left leg to twist violently.

Just as unlucky as Alan Smith, he suffered a fractured fibula and torn ankle ligaments.

Spalletti cried out that the sky was falling.

Lippi felt the same way. He had just publicly stated that Totti was Italy’s only irreplaceable player, pleading with other players in the league to go easy on their tackles to protect him.

And then, this tragedy struck.

But it wasn’t over.

Eriksson must have been truly cursed by Lady Luck.

「Late February.」

The tough-as-nails Ashley Cole had actually been injured since mid-October of last year. He hadn’t thought it was a big deal and played through the pain for nearly another month until he finally couldn’t bear it anymore. An examination revealed a stress fracture in his left metatarsal.

Eriksson’s claim that England was suffering from a metatarsal curse was proving to be more than just talk.

Just a few days ago, Chen Yu had specifically discussed this issue with Eriksson.

Chen Yu believed it was a problem with the cleats.

In the pursuit of a better feel for the ball, cleats were being made thinner and lighter, which had severely reduced their support and the protection they offered the foot.

One bad tackle to the foot could easily result in a fracture.

In reality, what Chen Yu really wanted to say was that the packed schedule of the Premier League, combined with its high intensity and aggressive play, was the true cause of the high rate of metatarsal fractures.