Sunderland defender Dan Smith has issued an apology to Abou Diaby.
Sunderland defender Dan Smith has issued an apology to Abou Diaby following the tackle that left the Arsenal man with a fractured and dislocated ankle.Smith was shown a yellow card for his lunge on Diaby towards the end of his side's 3-0 defeat, in an incident that enraged Arsene Wenger.
The Arsenal chief felt Sunderland stepped beyond the laws of the game all afternoon and was particularly scathing about Smith's tackle.
Smith, a substitute for the home side, has though been quick to plead his innocence and claims that there was no intent whatsoever to injure his Arsenal counterpart.
''I thought I'd win the ball and had every intention of going for the ball,'' he told Sky Sports News.
''If I did catch him it wasn't meant. I sincerely went to win the ball.
''If it is serious then I wish him all the best. I went for the ball and apologise for whatever happened.''
Diaby will now miss Arsenal's UEFA Champions League final clash with Barcelona, with team-mate Thierry Henry offering his sympathy post match.
''We came here, did our job and just hope for Diaby that he can recover,'' added Henry.
''Every day we can look forward to the Champions League final but poor kid.
''I had a bit of time to speak to him and I just hope he can recover as quickly as he can.''
