Hull City Football Club News

• Nickname:The Tigers
• Founded:1904
• Manager:Nick Barmby

• Ground:Kingston Communications Stadium
• Capacity:25,404

Tigers lose injured Gardner

23 Mar 2009 - 16:03:55

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Hull City defender Anthony Gardner will not play again this season after fracturing vertebrae in the base of his spine.

Gardner has endured an injury-ravaged first season at the KC Stadium after missing the first five months of the campaign with a thigh problem.

The former Spurs defender returned to action in February but suffered his latest problem during last week's FA Cup defeat to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

"Unfortunately, the X-ray has found that there are four fractured vertebrae in the base of Anthony's spine," manager Phil Brown told the club's official website.

"That manifests itself in that he will be out for the rest of the season.

"It's a big blow. Anthony has been very unlucky and we sympathise with how unlucky he has been. It's been a stop-start season for him to say the least.

"People have questioned whether he can physically handle it at this level. We certainly think he can.

"We brought him in to do a job and he has Premier League experience. He had formed a reasonable partnership with Michael Turner in a short space of time.

"It's an unusual injury for a footballer. With rest and recuperation, he'll be back for pre-season training."