ESCUDE'S TRANSFER HOPES DOGGONE
Manchester United's attempts to sign Julien Escudé were all but scuppered last night after the Rennes full-back slipped and injured a knee while walking his Briard sheepdog.
Escudé, a France Under-21 international, returns to his club for treatment this morning on crutches after straining the ligaments in his left knee. He is expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks, effectively ending any chance of completing a move to Old Trafford before the transfer deadline on August 31.
"I was walking the dog and I slipped on the curb and hurt my left knee," said the defender, who had been training alone in protest at his club's reluctance to bring forward the talks with United. "I've strained one of the ligaments in the knee; I've got a splint on it and I will have to use crutches for three or four days.
"I'm having anti-inflammatory drugs to try and reduce the swelling but I think it will take about three weeks to recover. I hope it doesn't bring my transfer into question. It's not too serious and I will recover fully but it's really infuriating. I really didn't need this."
"Julien's had an unfortunate accident and injured his left knee but it's nothing too serious and we hope he will be all right in two or three weeks," said the spokesman Jérôme Poupard.
"This makes no difference at all to our plans," Poupard added. "Julien is a Rennes player and we hope that he will remain so, though maybe it will make a difference to Manchester United's plans.
"There is no question of him being allowed to leave, whether he likes it or not. We had a meeting with them on August 11 and there is another meeting planned for this Sunday. We have had no contact from them since the first meeting, although we know United have been in contact with the player again, which it seems we can do nothing about."