Pic: Stephen Ireland left with gruesome leg wound after horror challenge [graphic content]

Apologies if you're reading this before or after your breakfast/lunch.

Because this is just nasty. Stephen Ireland was left with a gruesome wound, and needing 10 stitches after a challenge from Hull City's Maynor Figueroa in yesterdays game. The injury is so bad the midfielder will have to spend the next few weeks on the sideline. The picture was taken at half-time during Stoke's 1-0 win over Hull, just a few minutes after Figueroa's challenge which didn't even merit a yellow card. Ireland had earlier put in an aggressive challenge of his own on David Meyler, but Figueroa may have went a bit too far with his retribution. Speaking after the game, Stoke boss Mark Hughes was furious. 'It was a shocking challenge. It could have finished Stephen's career,' he said. 'Why it is not a straight red, I have no idea. There has been a lot of talk of challenges recently but this was worse than any of them.' 'We have lost Stephen for any number of weeks. He is in a bad way. He has come in at half-time, rolled his sock down and everyone was taken aback by the severity of the gash.' Hat-tip The Telegraph.