Former England winger Andros Townsend was involved in an unusual incident ahead of a match in Thailand when he was run over by a pitch roller during pre-match preparations.
The incident occurred while groundstaff were carrying out maintenance on the playing surface. Details on the circumstances remain limited, but Townsend later made light of the episode with a public joke comparing it to a difficult away fixture.
Townsend quipped that "playing Stoke away wasn't so bad after all," a remark that suggested he escaped serious injury and was able to poke fun at the mishap. His comments were made after the incident, underlining the unusual nature of the run-in with machinery.
The episode highlights the risks that can accompany pitch maintenance and the narrow margins for player safety around heavy equipment. Organisers and clubs generally keep such operations well clear of players before kick-off, and the incident is likely to prompt reviews of routine procedures at match venues.
Townsend, who won caps for England during his career, did not provide a detailed account of the event at the time, and officials at the match had not released a formal statement confirming the sequence of events.