Greuther Fürth defender Marco Meyerhofer injures his ankle so badly that his opponent bursts into tears

GERMAN footballer Marco Meyerhofer was carried off the field on Saturday after suffering a gruesome ankle injury. Images of the incident are not for the faint of heart.

The horrific incident came after the Greuther Furth right-back found himself in a bind with Eintracht Frankfurt’s man Jens Petter Hauge.

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Meyerhofer fell on Hauge, but the Norwegian international was pinched with his right leg.

Hauge’s entire body weight then landed on Meyerhofer’s leg, causing his knee to twist painfully.

But even worse, Meyerhofer’s ankle dislocated so badly that his bone snapped out of position and was visible through the defender’s sock.

The injury was so gruesome that Hauge burst into tears as soon as he saw the damage.

After medics rushed to the field to see Meyerhofer, he was placed on a stretcher with his head in his hands.

The brave defender gave a thumbs-up as he was greeted with applause from the crowd at Frankfurt’s Waldstadion as he was carted off the pitch.

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He was taken to a local hospital where he underwent surgery and spent the night, but is now expected to be out of action for an extended period after suffering a “severe ankle injury”.

To make matters worse, German newspaper Bild reports that Meyerhofer’s wife Katharina and his parents were in the stands and witnessed the entire incident.

Captain of bottom Greuther Fürth Sebastian Rode said after the 0-0 draw in the Bundesliga: “I saw my foot in a not so nice position myself. That overshadows the game. There are not many winners today.”

And boss Stefan Leitl added: “Get well soon, Marco Meyerhofer. We hope he will recover soon.”

Meanwhile, a statement from Club Managing Director Rachid Azzouzi said: “For all of us, this moment was a shock that is still deeply felt today and the good game yesterday is pushed into the background.

“We support Marco with everything we can and will accompany him closely on his path to recovery.

“Marco can count on the support of everyone at the club. We all wish Marco a good recovery process and get well soon!”