Kuyt blasts Italians over van Persie injury

HOLLAND striker Dirk Kuyt has accused Italy of a lack of respect as the row over Robin van Persie’s ankle injury continues to rage.

The Arsenal forward, who has been in magnificent form this season with eight goals in all competitions, has been ruled out for around six weeks after a robust challenge from Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during the friendly in Pescara on Saturday.

Van Persie, who was immediately withdrawn from the Dutch party to face Paraguay in today’s friendly in Heerenveen, has since absolved Chiellini of any blame in the incident, but Liverpool striker Kuyt launched an angry assessment of the Azzurri’s tough-tackling approach to the match.

“I was very disappointed by Italy,” said Kuyt.

“We played a friendly against a big country and if you see the way they kicked us it’s very sad, very sad for the Dutch team and also very sad for Robin because he was in great form.

“I think it was a bad tackle. Sometimes you think about this when you play a friendly for your country there should be more respect for each other and hopefully it won’t happen in the future.”

Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga, who joined Kuyt and Van Persie in the Premier League when joining Everton earlier this year, also expressed sympathy for his stricken international team-mate.

“It’s hard for a team, but harder for himself as he has been playing well for the last couple of months and he was one of the best players in the Premier League,” said Heitinga.

“I hope for him he recovers soon.”

Van Persie intends to do all he can to get back into action for Arsenal as soon as possible – and will travel to Serbia for radical medical treatment that involves massage using fluid from a placenta.

The Holland forward is ready to go a step further to try to help the healing process.

Speaking to Dutch TV, the Arsenal striker revealed: “I will fly to the Balkans to meet with a female doctor who helped PSV midfielder Danko Lazovic.

“She is vague about her methods but I know she massages you using fluid from a placenta.

“I am going to try. It cannot hurt and, if it helps, it helps. I have been in contact with Arsenal physiotherapists and they have let me do it.”