LITMANEN OUT AGAIN FOR FULHAM
Finnish legend Jari Litmanan’s woes at Fulham continue – he has had to return to his homeland again to recover from injury. Due to his latest setback, he will be unable to make his club debut against Blackburn at Ewood Park this weekend.
The 37-year-old, who starred for Ajax when the Dutch team won the European Cup in 1995, had been penciled in to make his bow for the Premier League strugglers this weekend, but a thigh strain has dashed Roy Hodgson’s plans.
Last month the Finn returned home after suffering heart palpitations on the training pitch, and has, much to his frustration, been force to watch Fulham’s woeful string of defeats from afar.
Hodgson, who managed Litmanan at international level, said: “Jari could possibly be in contention for next week. It depends on whether he can get this problem sorted out with the insoles of his shoes.
“He has had operations - Achilles and ankle operations - and as a result he needs these insoles to correct certain movement in his ankles which, if it doesn't get corrected, brings about muscle strains.
“That's exactly what has happened - he has got a stain on the inside of
his thigh that has come about because of the fact that the new insoles
that he thought were going to work didn't.
“He has to go back to Finland to have that fixed up. The guy who does it all over there knows all about the background to all his operations.”
Hodgson, who signed Litmanan on a free transfer in January, continued: “It would be nice to have him available because he is a very good footballer. It is frustrating for him as well me, but luckily we have other players and we have lots of options in the attacking positions.
“It would be good if we had him as well. It is frustrating for him because he wants to be a part of it and it is frustrating for me because it would give me another element in the competition for places up front.”
Finnish legend Jari Litmanan’s woes at Fulham continue – he has had to return to his homeland again to recover from injury. Due to his latest setback, he will be unable to make his club debut against Blackburn at Ewood Park this weekend.
The 37-year-old, who starred for Ajax when the Dutch team won the European Cup in 1995, had been penciled in to make his bow for the Premier League strugglers this weekend, but a thigh strain has dashed Roy Hodgson’s plans.
Last month the Finn returned home after suffering heart palpitations on the training pitch, and has, much to his frustration, been force to watch Fulham’s woeful string of defeats from afar.
Hodgson, who managed Litmanan at international level, said: “Jari could possibly be in contention for next week. It depends on whether he can get this problem sorted out with the insoles of his shoes.
“He has had operations - Achilles and ankle operations - and as a result he needs these insoles to correct certain movement in his ankles which, if it doesn't get corrected, brings about muscle strains.
“That's exactly what has happened - he has got a stain on the inside of
his thigh that has come about because of the fact that the new insoles
that he thought were going to work didn't.
“He has to go back to Finland to have that fixed up. The guy who does it all over there knows all about the background to all his operations.”
Hodgson, who signed Litmanan on a free transfer in January, continued: “It would be nice to have him available because he is a very good footballer. It is frustrating for him as well me, but luckily we have other players and we have lots of options in the attacking positions.
“It would be good if we had him as well. It is frustrating for him because he wants to be a part of it and it is frustrating for me because it would give me another element in the competition for places up front.”
Labels: Fulham, Jari Litmanan, Premier League, Roy Hodgson
