Fulham caretaker boss Peter Grant wished stricken Preston striker Stevie May a speedy recovery after he sustained what looked to be a long-term injury, casting a shadow on the 1-1 draw with Preston.
The frontman went down after a hard, but perfectly fair, challenge from Richard Stearman and stayed down clutching his knee. Replays suggested he had just planted his foot, which added to the unfortunate nature of the tackle.
He was stretchered off after a lengthy delay and left the ground on crutches and in a knee brace heading to hospital for a scan, while his team-mates went for their Christmas party.
Stearman was, naturally, shaken up after the incident but Fulham's interim boss absolved his player of any blame but his foremost thought was to wish May well.
In pictures: Fulham's 1-1 draw with Preston
Grant said: “When you see a young player like Stevie May go down with an injury it's sad. They're all human beings and they don't like their fellow professionals getting injured.
“I don't think it was Richard's challenge, I think it's the way the bodies have mangled up and obviously his knee has bent.
“You see it so many times that an innocuous challenge and all of a sudden you end up with a fellow professional injured.
“Richard was upset about it. He's fine now. He went in to Stevie and we wish him a very speedy recovery.”
