Eduardo da Silva has refused to blame Martin Taylor for the broken leg he suffered following a tackle by the Blues defender during the 2-2 draw at St Andrew's on Saturday - insisting "these things can happen in football".
Taylor was immediately sent off following the incident in the third minute of the game, provoking a ferocious response from Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who said the Birmingham defender should never play again - although he later retracted his heat-of-the-moment comments.
The Croatia striker, 25 today, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season and will miss Euro 2008 but insists he is "determined to overcome this injury".
The striker, who was beginning to establish himself in the first team in recent weeks following a summer move from Dinamo Zagreb, was yesterday transferred from Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital to an unnamed London hospital, where he will undergo further treatment.
He paid tribute to all those who had offered him their support, saying: "I would like to thank the medical team here at Arsenal for their efforts as well as the staff at Selly Oak Hospital who carried out the operation on Saturday night. Everyone there made me feel as comfortable as possible.
"I would also like to say how touched I am by the many messages of support I have received and to be surrounded by my loved ones at this time."
He also revealed he remembers little about the incident. Eduardo told www.arsenal.com: "I don’t remember the incident very well and it is not something that I want to see again on television or in the newspapers.
"All I remember is that when I fell, I looked down at my foot and it had turned the other way. The rest is just a blank. It was an unfortunate situation but these things can happen in football.
"I am unsure at the moment of the extent of the injury and how long I will be out of action for but I know that I won’t be able to play for Arsenal for the rest of the season or be ready in time for the Euros this summer.
"But I’m not worried about that. My concentration and determination is on making as quick a recovery as possible. I am determined to overcome this injury."
