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29th May 2016

Sergio Ramos shows Navas-like reflexes to avoid freak tree-branch injury

Careful, Sergio

Tom Victor

What is it about top-level footballers and stupid injuries.

Ilkay Gundogan will miss Euro 2016 after dislocating his knee playing basketball, while former England striker Darius Vassell famously spent time on the sidelines after taking a household drill to a blister under his toenail.

Things almost got very nasty for Premier League winner Demarai Gray at the PFA Awards, with the Leicester winger narrowly avoiding walking into the blades of a helicopter.

And Sergio Ramos became the latest to come close to serious injury following Real Madrid’s Champions League final victory.

Real Madrid v Club Atletico de Madrid - UEFA Champions League Final

Ramos and his team-mates were celebrating their penalty shoot-out victory over Atletico Madrid with an open-top bus ride when the vehicle entered a tree-heavy area.

The Spain centre-back needed reflexes befitting of Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas in order to avoid being smacked square in the face by a branch.

While the bus might not have been travelling at too high a speed, the branch could still have done some very serious damage had it connected with the defender.

It might be time to stop allowing Ramos to take part in celebratory bus trips.

After all, it was not that long ago that the 30-year-old somehow managed to drop the Copa Del Rey under the team bus as he joined team-mates in parading the trophy through the Spanish capital.

At the very least he should be forced to sit near the back, away from all the action.