STEFAN Ratchford is ready to help Warrington towards Grand Final glory, even though he may never get over the freak collision that saw him end up with 11 facial fractures.
The Wolves’ club captain was unable to eat solid food for four weeks after accidentally finding the elbow of St Helens’ James Bell in a Super League match on July 19.
Now he has revealed to SunSport he has suffered nerve damage in his face, which may either take up to two years to heal or never return to what it was.
“I don’t have much feeling down the right side of my face. It’s a lot better than it was, for the first four or five weeks, it felt fully like I’d had anaesthetic at the dentist.
“They’re not sure whether that feeling will come back or not. Some said it could be anything from a couple of months to two years, a couple said there was that much damage it’s not likely too.
England Rugby World Cup winner, 48, looks unrecognisable as a bodybuilder as he competes in tournament
“I just took an elbow, it was one of those freak accidents. James has tried to spin out of a tackle as I tried to come into it and he just caught me flush.
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“But you know what, I can’t actually remember it hurting. I knew there was something wrong with the way may face felt and an hour later, it was pretty painful.
“When we found out there were a few more, it was a surprise for everyone. I knew there was something wrong but we didn’t quite expect it to be what it was.
“I think the face is probably going to stay as it is now. That’s as good as it’s going to get – it doesn’t look too bad on the outside to be honest!”
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Bell checked in with Ratchford the following morning to make sure he was all right.
And despite the fears over nerve damage, the 36-year-old has undergone some contact training sessions and in terms of being physically fit, he is fine.
Ratchford added: “I didn’t have a meal for four, four-and-a-half weeks.
“I had these bars and wires on my teeth, along with bands that realigned my jaw, so they were on 23 hours of the day – I literally took them off to brush my teeth.
“It was soups, smoothies, yogurts, protein shakes, that was as good as it got for me. It was pretty tortuous but I’m back eating solids.
“And my clothes are fitting me semi-normally now. I lost more than a stone – the majority of which came off in the first two-and-a-half weeks. I wasn’t getting any calories into me whatsoever.
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“It wasn’t ideal for someone who has to eat a lot and lift a lot to maintain what they have but I know I’ve put some weight back on.
“Obviously I’ll have a bit of scarring and there’s a but going on inside but that’s what I’ll have to deal with going forward.
“I’m all right actually. I’m feeling as good as I can be and I’m back running and doing team stuff. I’ve done a bit of contact too – technically and cleared and free to play.
“And I’m more than happy too, if needed. I’m ready and available.”
LEICESTER and Nottingham Forest clash in Friday’s East Midlands derby at the King Power Stadium.
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ABU DHABI – Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev is one step closer to finally coming to fruition after both made weight on Friday ahead of the UFC 308 co-main event.
After unbeaten sensation Chimaev (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) pulled out of the original date in June, all signs point to him returning to the octagon after he hit the middleweight mark for his matchup against former champion Whittaker (26-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) during official weigh-ins at the UFC host hotel ahead of Saturday’s event, which goes down at Etihad Arena on Yas Island (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+).
Whittaker stepped on the scale at 185.5 pounds, while Chimaev registered at 186 pounds for the five-round showdown, which could serve as a title eliminator the for expected Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland championship rematch.
Check out the video above to see Whittaker and Chimaev make weight for the UFC 308 co-headliner.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Alex Kalinauckas and Stuart Codling dive into the media day drama, with McLaren instigating a Right of Review over Lando Norris’ five-second United States GP penalty.
Exeter have seen a host of internationals and seasoned players leave the club over the past 18 months.
Jack Nowell, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Stuart Hogg, Dave Ewers and the Simmonds brothers are amongst the names that have either moved to different teams – mainly in France – or retired.
It saw a new-look young side impress many people last season as players such as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Greg Fisilau and Jenkins took on greater roles in the side.
Those young players – with experienced help from Henry Slade, Scott Sio and Jack Yeandle – exceeded expectations in 2023-24 with a seventh-placed finish and hopes of making the top four until the final day of the season.
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Baxter says the club has had to curb its spending as it works its way out of the financial problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which is now having a ripple effect on the team this season.
“We’ve spent a little more this year than last year, but we’re miles off the salary cap,” he said.
“We said coming out of Covid, ‘we’re a member’s club, we have to run as a profit-making business’.
“We can’t just run forever as a loss-making business because that’s illegal, our accountants can’t say we’re a going concern, we have to make those decisions.
ABU DHABI – The UFC 308 fight card now is set following Friday’s official weigh-ins session, where all 26 fighters successfully hit their marks on the scale.
Saturday’s event at Etihad Arena (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+) is headlined by a highly-anticipated featherweight title fight, as well as a main card and preliminary card with key matchups.
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Check out the weigh-in highlights in the video above and a link to the photo gallery from all of Friday’s happenings below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Augusto Cesar Lendoiro took charge in 1988 and was the president who oversaw Depor’s glory years, but it was also under his stewardship the club racked up debts that by 2013 totalled more than 160m euros. Administrators insisted Lendoiro resign, or the club face insolvency. He did, but the economic burden remained.
In 2020, Spanish bank Abanca became the club’s majority shareholder. This summer, with head of Abanca Juan Carlos Escotet also becoming club president, Deportivo announced they were finally debt free, 24 years ahead of schedule.
The club also declared a strategic plan based on the pillars of financial consolidation, strengthening the academy, innovation and infrastructure and a “love for this city and its values”.
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Benassi says the goal is to be “competitive in the present, but also ensure long-term success and viability”. There is work to do, Deportivo sit 19th in the 22-team second tier after 11 games, but they will not rush the process.
The club are working with Populous, architects of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to build a new, state-of-the-art training centre while also refurbishing the current complex for the women’s team.
The focus is very much on finding and nurturing the best young talent in the area, collaborating with local schools and academies.
“It is fundamental for us,” says Benassi. “At the moment, almost 25% of players in the first team come from our academy.”
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Benassi hopes the facilities and support Depor can provide will help the club retain their best young players. The Riazor, their home by the beach, is on a list of potential stadiums for the 2030 World Cup in Spain.
But there is also the appeal of “Deportivismo”.
“From a young age, the boys learn that Depor is something more than a club,” he explains. “It is a philosophy, it is a family.
“They are born her. That’s why we don’t want to lose the connection with the city, the values of the city, because if we can maintain that, we are sure all the players from here and the academy will always be Depor fans.”
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