Steve Bruce was fuming after tonight’s gut-wrenching defeat to Leicester City on penalties. However, Bruce is saving his fury for the tackle that ended Matt Ritchie’s evening early.
This is what Steve Bruce has said as published by Leicestershire Live:
“I have to say that the mess Matt Ritchie’s in, the referee is five yards away and I know there will be VAR tonight or whatever, it’s a horror challenge,”
“I don’t want people sent off or red cards, but when I see the state of Matty’s leg – we fear ankle damage, he has three cuts which all need stitches, he is a mess and the referee if five yards away from that, which is difficult to take.
“I don’t want to see anyone sent off, but when it’s horror challenges like that, that wasn’t good.
“No wonder he didn’t come out for the second half.
“I didn’t have to see it back, I seen it there.
“It’s a horror one, it’s over the top. We haven’t got many angles on it, but believe me, it’s horrible.
“He has been stitched in three different wounds and obviously we will have to wait for the scans to see if there is ankle damage, but the kid is in a mess.
“I never want to see anyone sent off, but when you are over the top of the ball and you are lunging in like that, you can damage people and nobody wants to see that.”
Matt Ritchie was forced off just before the half due to the challenge by Hamza Choudhury. We hope he is going to be ok and that he has not suffered any serious damage to his ankle.
It is interesting that Choudhury did not come out after the break. Many in the Leicester City camp feel that the challenge was a bad one.
Hamza Choudhury, who was booked for a nasty tackle on Matt Ritchie just before the break, is replaced by Dennis Praet at HT.
— Damian Spellman (@DamianSpellman) August 28, 2019
Hamza Choudhury a lucky boy to get away with yellow at the end of the first half. No need for that challenge on Ritchie – it ended the winger’s night, too. #LCFC
— Jamie Kemble (@JamieKemble) August 28, 2019
Unsure if Hamza Choudhury was replaced for tactical reasons at the break, but if not, I like that management from Rodgers. Silly tackle at the end of the first half, injuring Ritchie. #LCFC
— Jamie Kemble (@JamieKemble) August 28, 2019
Hamza Choudhury is a naughty man ??
— Jay Smith (@jaysmith93) August 28, 2019
I like Hamza Choudhury, he’s a good player. But he’s in danger of getting a reputation for doing players.
— Ben Spratt (@bensprattjourn) August 28, 2019
Hamza Choudhury puts in a very poor challenge#LCFC #NUFChttps://t.co/lTTt8puylr
— LCFC Live (@LiveLCFC) August 28, 2019
I bet they didn’t say that Choudhury’s ball-winning tackle was ‘a great tackle’ ?
— Ben Royston (@bbroyston) August 28, 2019
This article was originally posted here