Cisse gives Smith encouragement

Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse has offered encouragement to Manchester United’s Alan Smith, who suffered a serious leg injury at Anfield on Saturday.

Midfielder Smith could be out for up to 12 months after breaking his left leg and dislocating his ankle in his side’s FA Cup defeat.

Cisse has come through a similar ordeal himself after breaking his leg at Blackburn in 2004. There were fears for his career at the time – it was even suggested he may lose his leg – but he returned to action again eight months later.

Cisse said: “I saw the break and it looked bad, but I am proof that he can recover well and get even stronger afterwards.

“When I saw him lying there on the pitch in agony, it brought back to me what happened. A year ago, I was recovering from a terrible break, and now I am playing again.

“But Alan strikes me as that kind of person, someone who is tough and can deal with this. I told him that he will get through it.”