Hartlepool player ruled out due to ‘stuck cotton bud’

Injuries don't come weirder than this

Hartlepool United will be without midfielder Mark Shelton for their game against Scunthorpe United on Saturday... because of a cotton bud-related injury. Yes, you really did read that right. Shelton won't be able to play because he has a cotton bud stuck in his ear, with Hartlepool boss Graeme Lee revealing that the 25-year-old has even been left feeling dizzy as a result of the peculiar injury. "Mark's had a cotton bud in his ear that has gone in too far," he told BBC Radio Tees. "He's gone to the hospital, sounds like the tweezers have gone in too far and he's dizzy and can't stand up." Whether Shelton will be able to return to action for the club's final game of the season is another question, but you should imagine that he will be staying away from cotton buds for some time.

Some of football's strangest injuries

In Shelton's defence, he isn't the only one to have suffered a bizarre injury. Several other players have also succumbed to strange off-the-pitch incidents that have ruled them out of action.

Darren Barnard

Former Wales and and Barnsley midfielder Darren Barnard was ruled out for five months with damaged knee ligaments after he fell and slipped on a puddle after his dog had an accident while inside...OUCH.

Marco Asensio

The Real Madrid man was only ruled out for a short period of time - one game in fact - but still, it was hardly the most common of injury. Asensio was forced to miss a game for Los Blancos after he got an infected pimple on his leg. The cause? Shaving his legs. Not one you would probably tell your mates about.

Shinji Kagawa

We've all been out for a lovely slap-up meal before and eaten far more much than we should've done. At first you feel great, but just a couple hours later and you're lying down on the sofa in absolute bits and falling into a food coma after eating too much. Well that's what happened to Shinji Kagawa, who missed Manchester United's game against Newcastle United in the 13/14 season. Manager at the time, David Moyes, revealed that he was missing the game due to sickness after going out for a meal. Related links:

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