Rosicky renews protection call

Arsenal star Tomas Rosicky has renewed a call for more protection from referees in the wake of the horrific injury to team-mate Aaron Ramsey.

The Wales international was stretchered off in Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Stoke on Saturday following a tackle from Ryan Shawcross, who was sent off for the challenge.

The Gunners have since confirmed the 19-year-old will miss the rest of the season after sustaining fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg.

Along with Eduardo and Abou Diaby, Ramsey is the third Arsenal player to suffer a broken leg in five years, prompting skipper Cesc Fabregas to call for more protection after the game.

Rosicky, who replaced Ramsey at the Britannia Stadium, also believes there should be more protection.

He told Sky Sports News: "I think you cannot blame the player (Shawcross) or to tell that he wanted to break his leg, of course not.

Operate aggressively

"But it's always against us. The teams operate aggressively against us, that's no problem for us, I think everybody copes with that but I think we have to be more protected from the referees. Because if you see, for example, how many fouls the opponents can do against us, five, six and after that it's a yellow card, we are making one or two fouls and we've got immediately yellow cards.

"So we have to be more protected as well."

Speaking of the injury to Ramsey, he added: "It is something horrible of course. Aaron is a huge talent and to see a young boy suffer like this is horrible. I saw it when it happened and you do not want to see these things on the pitch.

"(I) just have to wish him a speedy recovery because he's a great talent and such a young age. Of course, it's not easy."

The injury-plagued Rosicky knows what it is like to spend an extended period on the sidelines after only returning from more than 18 months out of action in September.

Support

The Czech Republic ace has offered words of support for the teenager, believing Ramsey can draw inspiration from his return, as well as that of Eduardo, who also spent months on the sidelines after sustaining a broken leg at Birmingham in 2008.

Rosicky added: "I think he can see that, he's two team-mates like Eduardo and me, we were out for a long time as well. So he can see that there are two examples that made it as well, so he's got it in front of his eyes.

"I'm sure that he will be back because he is obviously even younger than us, so the healing hopefully will be quicker for him."