Wenger fears for keepers' safety

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Arsene Wenger fears a goalkeeper could be killed on the football field unless they are given more protection.

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech fractured his skull after colliding with Reading's Stephen Hunt on Saturday.

The Arsenal boss said it was no coincidence more keepers were suffering serious injuries during matches.

But he added: "I can't imagine a player will go in to try to hit another player on the head with his knee because you know you can kill the player."

Wenger said there had been four instances in the past six months in which goalkeepers had been badly injured.

Chelsea's second-choice keeper Carlo Cudicini was also stretchered off in Saturday's match after colliding with Ibrahima Sonko.

Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer fractured a cheekbone after a collision with Dean Ashton in April, while Newcastle's Shay Given needed surgery after tearing a bowel in a challenge with Marlon Harewood in September.

Children don't want to see their fathers end up with lifelong damage, driven around in a wheelchair Jens Lehmann "This year there have been four incidents. It cannot be coincidence," Wenger said.

And the Arsenal boss admitted he feared a serious injury to his keeper Jens Lehmann.

"In some games, Jens has been targeted," he said.

Lehmann also voiced concern about goalkeepers' safety, saying someone could end up in a wheelchair if they were not protected.

"I really felt sorry for both Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini. It made me really, really angry too.

"I'm upset still because it happened to Schwarzer and Given. Now it's happened to Cech and Cudicini.

"All of them are great keepers, very brave. They never went to challenge or harm the striker, but all four of them got knocked out due to what are called 'clumsy' challenges.

"This word clumsy makes me really angry as well because these stupid TV pundits say sometimes 'it's clumsy' and 'it's a man's game'.

"Yes it is a man's game, but what you have to consider as well is these men have children and wives and their children don't want to see their fathers end up with lifelong damage, driven around in a wheelchair or not being able to work anymore."