A PLAYER who suffered a horrific injury and had to be airlifted to hospital after being tackled in a pre-season friendly football match is now recovering at home.

Mark Palmer, 33, a former plasterer, was injured while playing striker for Mathern Wanderers two weeks ago.

During the second game against Viney Hill, he was tackled and suffered a compound fracture which broke his tibia and fibula.

The injury, which is the same suffered by Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey in 2010, snapped the bones and left Chepstow man Mr Palmer in agony.

An ambulance was called but paramedics were unable to administer morphine into Mr Palmer's arm. An air ambulance was called and landed on the pitch, and air ambulance paramedics were able to administer morphine and ketamine. Mr Palmer was then transferred to Frenchay Hospital, in Bristol, where he underwent emergency surgery at four the following morning.

Mr Palmer said: "It was just a normal pre-season match away at Viney Hill. It was only about 10 minutes in when I got tackled. It was an unfair tackle, and in the process I broke my leg. When I saw my leg I was devastated, I had never seen anything like it.

"I'm still feeling a bit gutted, as it's hard to accept I'm out of playing. The first surgeon told me I would not be able to play for at least a year, but another said as my leg is healing quite well, and it could be just seven or eight months.

"I don't really want to take that risk and do myself even more damage, so I will wait until next year before I play again. Hopefully, by next season I will be fighting fit again.

"There is a good side to it, as I'm at home spending a lot of time with my family and my girlfriend Amy. She's been looking after me."