VIEWERS of a nervous disposition, look away now.
Robin van Persie escaped any serious damage from his shocking eye injury on Sunday, but these unlucky 13 footballers suffered horrific injuries that kept them out of action for months.
Some even had their careers ended.
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Here are the gruesome blows that might make YOU feel week at the knees.
Be warned… they get worse the further you read.
13. DJIBRIL CISSE
There are 12 worse than this? Yep.
The France striker had remarkable powers of recovery, breaking his leg twice and making it back within six months on both occasions.
The one for Les Bleus looks worse…
12. HENRIK LARSSON
The Swede picked up a bad one playing for Celtic in a UEFA Cup tie against Lyon in 1999.
The challenge with Serge Blanc left him with a double break and out of the rest of the season.
But he was back playing eight months later, and it could have been worse for the striker – who went on to join Barcelona.
11. AARON RAMSEY
The Welshman needed nine months out after this one but thankfully came back and kicked on as a player – arguably as the best midfielder at Euro 2016.
His right leg was left broken in two places by Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross and relations between the clubs have never recovered.
The look on the faces of Rambo’s Gunners team-mates said it all.
10. LUKE SHAW
Shaw has fought injury and fitness issues since moving to Man Utd in a £33million deal.
He was cruelly denied ten months of action after suffering a double leg break in a challenge with PSV’s Hector Moreno
The Mexican defender was in tears when he visited the former Southampton left-back in hospital the following day.
9. MARCIN WASILEWSKI
Now a Champion with Leicester, there was a time when the big Polish defender might have thought his career was over.
Axel Witsel came in with a studs-up tackle during a heated Anderlecht-Standard Liege clash that earned him an eight-game ban and left Wasilewski sidelined for ten months.
He considered suing and threatened to snub a handshake when they crossed paths again.
8. GARY MABBUTT
With the other 11 being leg injuries, one involving the upper body needed to be on the list – as with Van Persie’s.
And it’s truly shocking, with former Spurs defender Mabbutt having been clocked by a filthy elbow from Wimbledon’s John Fashanu.
It left him with a cheekbone fractured in four places and an eye socket cracked in three, leaving Mabbutt needing a metal plate inserted and 12 months out of the game.
Bert Trautmann a former German prisoner of war, almost made the cut for playing on with a broken neck to help Manchester City beat Birmingham City 3-1 in the 1956 FA Cup final.
And Petr Cech came under consideration for breaking his skull diving at the feet of Reading’s Stephen Hunt.
He needed three months out after an op and has worn head protection ever since.
A mention must also go to Mallorca’s Juan Arango, after being viciously elbowed by Sevilla skipper Javi Navarro in 2005.
He suffered a broken cheekbone and swallowed his tongue, but was back playing a few weeks later.
7. EDUARDO DA SILVA
An unpleasant tackle with an unpleasant ending.
Birmingham defender Martin Taylor saw red, with Gilberto Silva having to act as a translator to medical staff as the only man to hand that spoke both both Portuguese and English.
Eduardo needed a year to recover, but managed to continue his career at Arsenal and then Shakhtar Donetsk.
6. KIERON DYER
Just ten days after his West Ham debut, following a £6million move, the England midfielder’s career was left in tatters.
A tackle by Bristol Rovers’ Joe Jacobsen left his leg broken in two places.
Already troubled by injuries, Dyer needed 17 months out and was never the same player again.
5. DEMBA BA
The former Chelsea, Newcastle and West Ham striker suffered this nasty playing for Shanghai Shenhua in China.
No return date is set as of yet.
The agony etched on his face says it all.
4. FEDERICO MATTIELLO
If it wasn't bad bad luck, the Juventus starlet would have no luck at all.
He'd already broken his leg once previously, when a collision with Roma tough-nut Radja Naingollan produced this shocker.
At 21, the defender - who was on loan at Chievo - should hopefully have time on his side to get his career back on track.
3. LUC NILIS
There was much excitement among Aston Villa fans when they landed the Belgian strike ace who Ronaldo described as one of his favourite strike partners.
He then netted on his debut against Chelsea in 2000.
But his career was over two games later after a collision with Ipswich keeper Richard Wright left him fearing his leg would need to be amputated.
2. PRESTON BURPO
Not the most well known on the list among English football fans.
But this was a career-ending shocker too.
The American keeper snapped his tibia and fibula after crashing into New York Red Bulls striker Dane Richards.
1. DAVE BUSST
If you've got this far, you probably expected it to be this one.
The horrific collision with Manchester United's Denis Irwin and Brian McClair left Peter Schmeichel vomiting and in need of counselling.
The former Coventry defender later contracted MRSA, causing further muscle and tissue damage.
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