photo by Chris Brunskill/ISIphotos.com
Stuart Holden's first full season with Bolton Wanderers has been going as well as he probably could have hoped for, but that season has prematurely come to a close.
Holden will be sidelined for about six months with the knee injury picked up in Bolton Wanderers' weekend loss to Manchester United, Bolton announced on its website on Monday. Holden also tweeted he'd be going in for surgery in London later on Monday, though it is unclear what his exact injury is.
Initial X-rays on Holden's injury showed no broken bones, but a re-evaluation of it has ruled out the U.S. national team midfielder until September, meaning he will miss this summer's Gold Cup and the start of Bolton's next season.
Holden suffered the knock going for a 50-50 ball against Jonny Evans, whose studs-up challenge forced Holden to be stretchered off. Holden received 26 stitches near his left knee following the 1-0 defeat.
What do you think of this development?
Share your thoughts below.
Oh man this sucks. Poor Stu. He’ll be back though.
Friendly vs. Columbia. Edu, Jones, and Bradley all started, and all got in each other’s way. Edu and Jones weren’t on the same page, and Bradley tracked back, so we had 3 people in the middle of the field, just crowding each other.
(SBI-It was their first game trying it, didn’t work, but that doesn’t mean you scrap it after trying it once.)
When?
Gutted. If it’s six months, he must have done something to a ligament or tendon. Maybe a PCL injury?
God. Poor guy. He can’t catch a f******* break can he? If you look at his Twitter, he’s still staying positive and mentioned that he had a call from Johnny Evans. There are so many jerks in this game, particularly in the EPL. You kind of wish it would happen to them instead of a genuinely nice person like Stu.
And you realize that he was completely out of fitness and form for the WC which probably took away his chances of actually making a difference right?
Too soon man, too soon….
You realize that Bradley already tried this, right? And the experiment didn’t turn out so well.
Must have sliced a tendon that needs reattaching or something. D*mn! Get well soon, Stu!
Sh*t! If Stu didn’t have bad luck, he wouldn’t have any luck at all.
Maybe stu should think about bulking up, just a thought. I know it probable wouldn’t have prevented either injury but it couldn’t hurt.
This is a sad day. I was very much looking forward to watching Stu run our offense in the middle of the pitch. Playing balls to Donovan and Dempsey. I thought he would be the center-piece that made our team work.
On a personal note, if you follow him on twitter, watch his interviews, or watch him play, you can’t help but like the guy. What a great role model for the next generation. A guy who paid his dues and is making it happen.
Damn I was hoping it would be an injury like Nani’s from a couple of weeks ago that opened up his knee. This one did look worse though, but was hopeful it was only a gash.
Big loss for the Gold Cup. Damnit. He doesn’t have great luck in England that’s for sure. Getting jumped outside a bar in Newcastle and the injuries.
Stu Holden didn’t miss the 2010 World Cup. He was on the team and played in the tournament. You realize that, right?
They know it was a deserved card. Even Fergie didn’t protest.
Unfortunately, Evans will probably get a 3 game suspension and be back as soon as the suspension is over.
So sad for Stu. Sadder still are the ManU fans who are defending what Evens did, some even claiming it shouldn’t have been a card.
Ugh. Especially since one British publication had him on their Best XI for the first half of the season.
Poor guy. He’s like a smaller Marouane Fellaini (still with distinctive hair tho)–skilled, but constantly getting injured 🙁
I am a Manchester United fan and a USMNT fan and I agree that these tacklese need to be dealt with by the EPL or they will not be able to get skillful players in the future. Earlier this year De Jong broke the leg of Ben Arfa, a few weeks back Jamie Carragher tried to break the leg of Nani and now this tackle. I don’t think in this case that Evans is a dirty player (first red card of his career was for the tackle on Holden) but he did leave the ground and go in studs up which is stupid and reckless. Feel horrible for Holden. You can tell Holden has earned the respect of the EPL as players such as Jack Wilshere and Rio Ferdinand were wishing him a speedy recovery. Holden is mentally tough and will come back better than ever!
Good point about the DeJong injury.
I guess the question is, will he become less agressive in his play in order to avoid injuries? (Should he?) It’s easy to say that he should continue playing the same way regardless of the injuries, but I’m actually not sure that’s the right answer if it means he will be prone to injury. And if he is going to continue to play this way, is the EPL the right league?
+1 Couldn’t have said it better
My evaluation is the same as Doctor OrthoFC, it’s probably either his knee cap, ligaments, tendons, or maybe cartilage…and I’ll add probably NOT his gall bladder…so I think we’ve really narrowed down the potential knee injuries. 🙂
let’s also consider the fact that his last injury wasn’t in the EPL, but with the national team (although it was a Premier League player who injured him.) I wouldn’t say it’s too rough for him, he’s just unlucky as can be. he has been one of the leading tacklers in the league and is a stout defender. it’s not a matter of toughness, he just goes all out and throws himself into the game, and two horror tackles resulted in injury. i don’t care who you are or how tough you are, anybody who takes a tackle like this most recent one and the one from De Jong is going to come away with an injury, it happens to everyone
I want to throw up
Also, I hope that Bob Bradley now considers using MBradley, Jones and Edu together in the same midfield. I’ve been thinking about that for a while now. I think MBradley could thrive moving to a more attacking role, and the Jones/Edu pairing in the defensive midfield would be formidable…
(Alas, I don’t think that Bob Bradley is that creative.)
I’m getting a little emotional here, but the only way that this type of thing stops is if players take it into their own hands and stop it. Hockey style. If Ferguson ever puts Evans into a match against Bolton again, he should be prepared to dodge studs-up tackles from all directions. It’s obvious that guys like him feel no threat of reprecussion when they make these reckless challenges. If the governing bodies can’t put a stop to it, then the players should.
Terrible. I have this awful feeling that the English game might be too rough for him. About a year there, and already two bad injuries? Maybe he should consider moving to a different league.
Well he did this all once before. And he had to miss a World Cup last time so maybe he knows what he has to do mentally to get over this again. Won’t surprise me with his attitude if he comes back early. Bummer for our Gold Cup though.
Rage
Now all the people who for some reason get so upset when people talk of him as a possible star and difference maker for the USMNT, will have to wait for their banquet of crow. But it will come.
Stuey would go.
Wasn’t it also in March when he broke Carlos Johnson’s foot?
Feel terrible for him, Bolton and the USMNT. Get well soon, Stu. Stay positive…
well actually…
+1
Maybe we should make Stu take the month of March off every year so that some reckless tackle doesn’t make him take April – August off.
aaargh! We are all bummed. Imagine how he must be feeling.
Such a shame, I’m so heart broken for Stu, he’s been one of the players of the year in England imo, now he’s denied the opportunity to finish out a great season with a FA Cup semi (and possible final) appearance and a showing at the Gold Cup. Unfair.
this pisses me off so much.
Terrible news. Totally gutted for him.
Bull—. He gets it worse than Tab Ramos. People who break legs or other terrible injuries in which they directly caused should serve a ban as long as the player is out.
That, or my guess would be ligament or tendon damage. It could also be that Evans’ stud left a divot in his cartilage. I’m sure someone with an actual clue will end the speculation soon.
He can’t catch a break.
poor guy…
Horrible.
He must have run over a few black cats or something. My favorite USMNT player, this is a real bummer.
Get better soon Stu!! Go Bolton! We will miss you tons at the Gold Cup!!
It’d be fair if they suspended Evans until Holden was able to return. Only way to get rid of theses types of tackles
yeah that’s what I’m wondering too? No one has said what the additional injury is which he’ll have to have surgery on.
So is it a broken knee cap? No ligament damage?
Gutted.