“My mum went crazy” – Manchester City midfielder opens up on gruesome bone break injury

Manchester City midfielder Matheus Nunes has opened up on the gruesome injury sustained in Champions League action against FC Copenhagen earlier this month.

The Portugal international was withdrawn midway through the second-half of action after appearing to displace his finger, in a gruesome moment captured by television cameras across the globe.

Nunes made a speedy recovery from the problem and was part of Manchester City’s matchday squad present at Anfield for the club’s most recent Premier League outing against Liverpool, ending in a hotly-contested 1-1 draw.

As Manchester City prepare to go head-to-head with Newcastle United for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium this weekend, Nunes has looked back on the horrifying moment in Europe’s premier club competition.

Speaking to BBC Sport ahead of the weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final meeting with Newcastle United, Matheus Nunes explained his initial feeling and subsequent reaction to his gruesome finger injury in the Champions League earlier this month.

“I didn’t feel much pain. At the time, I thought it would be worse,” Nunes said. “When you imagine your finger going the other way, you think it’s going to be so painful, but it wasn’t that bad. I heard it click when the doctor put it back in place.”

One person in Nunes’ life was much more concerned however, with the Manchester City midfielder revealing that his mother feared he had broken his leg. “My mum went crazy,” the Portugal international revealed. “My mum thought, ‘Oh my god, he broke his leg or something.’ Come on, it’s just a finger.”

Nunes is enduring a mixed start to life at Manchester City after joining the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers on deadline day of the last summer transfer window, most recently offering his services in a left-wing role.

Pep Guardiola is a fan of the Portugal international’s ability to carry the ball with control over long distances on the field, and discovered his talent of possession retention out wide as the club competed without Jack Grealish in recent weeks.

As fixtures continue to mount for Manchester City in the second-half of the season, Nunes can expected a continue up-turn in opportunities, with many fans already looking forward to his second season at the Etihad Stadium with great expectations.