Saturday Mar 01 2008 10:31
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has accepted Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor's apology over the tackle which left
Gunners striker Eduardo with a career-threatening leg injury.
Wenger had initially called for Taylor to be banned for life, but retracted his comments after speaking with Taylor following the 2-2 draw at St Andrew's last Saturday.
"I said what I said in the heat of the moment, I took responsibility to retract what I said," the Frenchman told reporters.
"I had a chat with Martin Taylor after the game. Frankly the tackle looked bad. It looked really bad.
"However, he told me he did not do it intentionally, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and I retracted what I said because I am not 100 per cent sure.
"Only he knows, so I do not want him to be singled out if he is genuine."
Meanwhile, Wenger is upbeat about the prognosis on Eduardo, who is recovering after surgery on a double compound fracture of his left leg.
He added: "He is as good as you can be after surgery. The first signs are good.
"The problems like infections have not been a difficulty, but we need to be patient. Patience is needed as much as support.
"We will all use our energy to give him that needed support. He is a brave boy, very hard-working and has a sensational attitude."
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