Manchester City exile Micah Richards has been struck down with yet another injury after he limped off after just 40 minutes into Fiorentina’s 3-0 defeat to Dinamo Minsk.
The England defender gained widespread praise for his shrewd loan move to Italy in search of first-team football but now faces yet more time on the treatment table.
Richards has swiftly established himself as Fiorentina’s starting right-back, but a thigh injury meant he couldn’t even complete the first-half of his new side’s Europa League group game.
According to the club’s website: “Richards reported discomfort in the flexor tendons of his right thigh. He will undergo tests tomorrow.”
Richards was internally voted player of the season in City’s title win in 2012 and competed at the London Olympics.
But a serious knee injury and the form of Pablo Zabaleta limited him to just 18 first-team appearances in the two years that followed their title triumph.
The 26-year-old still is still contracted to Manchester City until the end of the season, though Richards turned down a new contract in search of regular first-team football.
“Financially, it would have been the right thing [to stay],” told the Guardian.
“It would have been the easy choice to stay in England. I don’t speak Italian and I don’t really have any mates in Florence.”
The former Oldham Athletic player was joined in Italy by fellow Englishman Ashley Cole, who moved from Chelsea to Roma this summer.
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