UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FALL-OUT: Chelsea Doctor Saves Mikel’s Life

By Dimeji Ojo with Agency Report - 03.05.2008

Former president of West African Football
Union (WAFU), Jacques Anouma (left),
with the newly installed president, Dr. Amos
Adamu, DG, NSC, in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
at the recently held WAFU Ordinary
Congress. Photo: Raheem Oatunji,
Socrates All SportsWHAT could have resulted in a big calamity was averted on Wednesday night during the UEFA Champion’s League match between Chelsea and Liverpool as Nigeria’s John Mikel Obi’s life was saved by a member of Chelsea’s medical crew.

It was revealed that Chelsea doctor’s intervention saved the Nigerian lad from collapsing on the pitch on that fateful Wednesday night.

Mikel was looking to play a super-sub role for the encounter, with pre-match forecasts noting that Avram Grant had lined out a training routine that had The Catalyst replacing Frank Lampard.

However, when time came for Grant to play his master card, with a plan to bank on Mikel’s marking abilities to block of Liverpool’s assault, he was astonished to find the youngster shivering.

It was initially thought that Mikel had caught a cold in the rain at Stamford Bridge, but the doctor’s checks revealed he was tensed up with anxiety of the big occasion.

Grant made another check some minutes later, and the doctor simply waved his head. “Mikel is a bag of nerves and will collapse if he plays”, was the verdict.

It was however gathered that if the coach had stuck to his gun by bringing in Mikel into the explosive encounter he would just collapse and this might result in him losing his conciousness.