An injury before a Champions League game is always a nasty surprise for a player, but this time it was fans who were particularly flummoxed by the issue that sidelined Real Madrid starlet Marco Asensio.
The 21-year-old burst on to the world stage earlier this year with a catalogue of superb goals, but he couldn’t play in his team’s Champions League opener after an infection caused by shaving his legs.
The result was a pimple that meant he couldn’t pull his socks up, and thus, a game off for the Spaniard.
Ederson: Plays four days after needing stitches for a facial injury
Marco Asensio: Ruled out by 'infected pimple caused by shaving' pic.twitter.com/MMirwObbDX
— PA Dugout (@PAdugout) September 13, 2017
Gary Lineker’s never far away with a humorous tweet, is he?
Marco Asensio is out of Real Madrid's team due to an infected pimple after shaving his legs. Never would've happened in my day. We waxed.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) September 13, 2017
Let’s check in with Roy Keane – surprisingly measured, to be fair.
Roy Keane and Lee Dixon on Marco Asensio missing Real Madrid's game after picking up an injury shaving his legs pic.twitter.com/jXXz2oxlVB
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 13, 2017
And while the world of football collectively absorbed the freak injury, Phil Neville was on hand to put things into context.
Real Madrid's Marco Asensio missed tonight's match because he shaved his legs.
A story all too familiar for Phil Neville… pic.twitter.com/xd6OKJtTR6
— BBC 5 live Sport (@5liveSport) September 13, 2017
“99% of people in Spain shave their legs, shave their chest, shave their arms,” said Neville on the BBC’s 5 Live Sport, mentioning that he too had suffered an infection once upon a time.
Having been assistant coach at Valencia, Neville is well qualified to speak on the subject.
BREAKING: Puyol is furious that Phil Neville has said he shaves his legs!! pic.twitter.com/QjoKpBroto
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) September 14, 2017
You keep doing you, Phil.
Morning-quick HIIT session then @premierleague tv for me today – have a great day!
— Philip Neville (@fizzer18) September 14, 2017
You keep doing you.