Peter Odemwingie and Paul Scharner hit out at West Brom over their injuries

Friday 25th November 2011, 11:30AM GMT.

Peter Odemwingie and Paul Scharner hit out at West Brom over their injuries

West Brom have been hit by a new fitness controversy after Peter Odemwingie and Paul Scharner hit out over their injuries.

Odemwingie weighed into the debate over his fitness by posting pictures of his injured knee on Twitter.

And Scharner used his Facebook page to accuse the Baggies of “not telling the truth” over his knee problem.

Odemwingie tweeted two pictures last night and assured Baggies fans ‘I do care,’ days after boss Roy Hodgson admitted his growing frustration with the 30-year-old’s prolonged absence.

The Nigeria international also revealed he had returned to training yesterday following the knee problem that has kept him sidelined for almost a month.

Hodgson hinted earlier this week that he was losing patience with Odemwingie, who has struggled this season to recapture the form that brought him 15 goals in his debut Premier League campaign and earned him a lucrative new contract in the summer.

But the forward responded on Twitter, posting two pictures he claimed showed “fingermarks” proving he still has fluid around his injured knee.

The tweet accompanying his first picture said: “Fingerprints to show an edema (accumulation of fluid) still present after three-and-a-half weeks. Trained with group today.”

And a second tweet read: “Picture was taken now. My dear WBA fans I do care.”

The second picture showed Odemwingie’s knee alongside a computer displaying a story that included Hodgson’s earlier comments.

Scharner then added to a night of social media fireworks by questioning a story on the club’s official website concerning the knee problem he picked up against Liverpool.

He said: “I have seen on the WBA website written I had just a Grade One ligament damage, is wrong. I don’t know why the medical department is not telling the truth.

“Because if I would have a grade one I would have played the international game with Austria and the last game against Bolton.

“Sorry but it has to be said. But anyway I trained with the team today and hopefully I’m in the squad. Paul.”

Scharner’s comment triggered a string of comments from fans but the post was later deleted.

Both players are expected to be fit to face Tottenham on Saturday, while Shane Long also trained yesterday and hopes to be available.

Long made a scoring return on his sooner-than-expected comeback against Bolton after four weeks out with a cracked bone in his knee, suffered in the derby win at Aston Villa.

But the Irishman suffered another blow to his leg on Tuesday, raising doubts over his fitness to face Spurs.


  1. 1
    matt

    A big fuss over nothing. Both players wanting to show there commitment is not in question. This reaction is good for the team and is probably the type of reaction Hodgson wanted.

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  2. 2
    CantelloRocket 78

    I can’t help but feel someone is trying to create mischief,and blow this thing WAY out of proportion.

    Peter shows us a picture of his injury,and says that he’s now back in training.
    Scharner seems confused about the extent of his injury,and questions it,but we all know he’s a bit eccentric and outspoken.

    They are both back training with the squad,and could be in contention for the Spurs game.

    So when did World War III begin??

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  3. 3
    Romsley Baggie

    Isn’t the reaction Roy wanted to get the players back on the training field then in contention for the starting 11? Job done! Roy isn’t there to win a popularity competition he is there to get results not massage players ego’s!

    Good for you Roy!

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  4. 4
    Happy_baggie

    Who cares who said what to whom, how and where they said it and why…..

    If Scharner plays he will give 100% cos thats how he plays and if PO plays and scores or has a good game it will all be forgotten and he will be happy cos the fans will love him.

    I don’t really care how footballers live their lives off the pitch as long as they give everything on it.

    We are all given too much info now and its not healthy.

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  5. 5
    Cyril Randle

    Thia sort of stuff makes me uncomfortable. I know there will always be moments of friction in any group, but reading about P.O. in the Sun on Thursday means it has some ‘Pooh and Rotating Fan’ value or they wouldn’t bother with us. Right then, a point at least tomorrow, then kiss and make up time.
    You ‘eard me, do it.

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  6. 6
    astleistheking

    I have to agree with MICMAC on banning social network sites as it causes a lot of pointless fuss.

    Apparently more and more adults have imaginary friends these days, it’s called facebook!

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  7. 7
    Robin Brittain

    The time for injured players to worry is when the manager could not care less whether they are fit or not. RH is bound to have had similar problems with other players before and obviously knows how to deal with them.
    As for Paul Scharner becoming involved I am not sure what a grade 1,2 or 1000 is but it would be good to have a grade one performance tomorrow.

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  8. 8
    The REAL Baggie Boy

    Pistol Pete will be fit for Spurs will prob be on bench if Shane is passed fit

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  9. 9
    1954 baggie

    Think some clubs are banning players from talking
    about clubs on s n sites we should do the same.
    Roy has a wealth of experience dealing with players
    so we can rely on him dealing with matters.
    Are we to take it the cocoa pops kid will be fit
    been as MAF has gone? still feel Zoltan and Shane
    best pairing and use Peter as impact player.

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  10. 10
    BoingBoing666

    Roy has no doubt experienced this issue many times before, and is more than capable of dealing with it in an amiable way, PS and PO are professional tradesmen, so i;m sure they will be happy to let it blow over, much a do about nothing. Don’t worry fellow fans.

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  11. 11
    round

    This is the kind of things that happen when any club discloses the earnings of so called top players when they are earning 2-3 times as other players in the club and they could be a 1 season wonder!

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  12. 12
    sid

    the only people who blow this thing out of proportion is the media and some fans,hence the apology from thug hutton, some posts on here went on for ages and ages saying nothing,we all know it happened ,lets get over it, and just concentrate on the match, boing boing

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  13. 13
    Jack the Hat.

    (12)
    Sid,
    I agree with your Media slant. Their forte is switching words or symbols to spice up their report. I.E. Take Warren on Jarrods blog, he wrote,
    Jarrod,
    I like you….
    But meant,
    Jarrod,
    I, like you….
    Quite a big difference you will agree.
    So don’t believe all you read, especially when I throw a wobbly.

    BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

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  14. 14
    Red

    I cannot believe any of you actually believe Hodgson intended for this to work out like this.

    The man is clueless when it comes to man management.

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  15. 15
    Jack the Hat.

    Maybe Roy was saying “I can’t understand why the injury is taking such a long while to heal and we would have got more out of Osaze this season”. Then the media get their mucky paws on it.

    BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

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  16. 16
    Cyril Randle

    13.Jacques. There was a beauty last week where a lack of an apostrophe and a comma changed a whole meaning:
    “Shoplifters were watching you” should be,
    “Shoplifters, we’re watching you”.
    As for the topic of injuries, we appear to have a full hand to play with. Sorted Perry.
    We have to give the media some slack with a story. As long as it is basically true it will always have a slant of some sort according to the writer’s interpretation. “All the world’s a bit queer, except thee and me and even thee’s a bit queer”.

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  17. 17
    Cyril Randle

    Paddy Mulligan was slow, very slow, yet he usually had fast-raiding wingers in his pocket. Probably told them an Irish joke or two before kick off. This one is true according to the ref of that match:
    Paddy wins the toss at kick off.
    Ref. “Which way would you like to kick, Paddy?”
    “It’ll be foin sur if we kick towards their goal and they kick towards ours”.

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  18. 18
    Jack the Hat.

    (16)
    Cyril,
    My wifes father had a wooden letter rack with that saying on, only “Little” where you say “Bit”.

    BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

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