Emi Martinez has disclosed that he has been coping with a broken finger sustained before the World Cup, having chosen not to undergo surgery, and has acknowledged that the injury will never fully return to normal.
The Argentine goalkeeper, who joined Chelsea in the summer, is currently out of action with a broken jaw picked up at Everton two weeks ago. He has now revealed that he played through intense pain, which left him "seeing stars" for a period, after breaking a finger prior to the tournament, where he featured in every minute as Argentina were defeated in the final.
Martinez said the injury left his finger looking "like a blood sausage" and that "it won't ever return" to its previous state, as the bone has remained out of place.
Playing Through Pain
"Those are the risks you take for the national team," Martinez said, speaking to journalist Gaston Edul in a YouTube interview. "I'd do it again."
He added: "I was diving like a zombie. I dived like that, I got up and I put my hand down and I'd see stars … every night, until 12am, I'd be crying because my finger was like a blood sausage."
Martinez also noted that Chelsea raised no concerns about the injury during his medical ahead of the transfer: "They said it was impossible for me to play like that, that I needed surgery. Chelsea didn't mind… (but) someday you will need an operation." He stated that the discomfort from his broken jaw was far less severe than that from his finger.
Return to Action
Xabi Alonso said on Friday that Martinez is in the process of having a mask fitted to help speed up his return to the pitch. Before the injury at Everton, Martinez had played every minute of Chelsea's Premier League campaign, with Belgium's Mike Penders deputising since.
