Source: Telegraph
Stoke rally round Ryan Shawcross after challenge on Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey
The 19-year-old is likely to be sidelined for several months after sustaining a sickening break of both bones in his shin in a clash with Shawcross which saw the Stoke centre-back sent off. [LNB]Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger condemned the tackle as "horrendous and unacceptable" and also criticised Stoke's overall approach but Delap said the Frenchman was wrong.[LNB] Related ArticlesShawcross's 'intent' is not the pointAaron Ramsey faces rocky road to recoveryStoke City 1 Arsenal 3Arsenal say they will not be derailed by Ramsey injuryRamsey's injury does not prove Arsenal are targetedWenger: 'We have achieved'"The tackle didn't look at all malicious. I spoke to the referee and he said he didn't think Ryan meant it, but he had to send him off," he said.[LNB]"I know Ryan and he wouldn't mean to do that. Ryan was in tears and he is not a lad who would go out to do that. He will be devastated and we will need to pick him up. But our thoughts are with Aaron."[LNB]Delap added: "Everyone knows what we are about. We are physical, but there's not one person in our dressing room that would do that (deliberately injure an opponent).[LNB]"It is very rare in the whole of football that someone does go out to hurt someone."[LNB]Pugh backed up that view by saying: "We are a fully-committed side, but we never go out to injure anyone, just give 100% to the game whether we are playing Arsenal, Man City or whoever."[LNB]The defender also believes 22-year-old Shawcross, who was called into the England squad just a couple of hours after his red card at the Britannia Stadium, will bounce back from the incident quickly.[LNB]"Ryan's a young lad, but he's got a mature head, so he'll be able to just concentrate on his game and get over this," Pugh added.[LNB]
