Sergio Scariolo on Ekpe Udoh's injury: 'It's a very serious injury, now we're gonna look for another player' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Virtus Bologna Credit Virtus Bologna

Virtus Bologna advanced to the semi-finals of the Italian Supercup thanks to a 74-66 win over Bertram Tortona but that was probably the only good news of the evening for the Italian team. During the game, veteran big man Ekpe Udoh suffered a serious knee injury and was forced to leave the game.

Ekpe Udoh

Position:PFAge:34Height:208 cmWeight:111 kgBirth place:Edmond, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Right after the game, coach Sergio Scariolo commented on the matter and didn't seem to be optimistic regarding Udoh's status: "It's a very serious injury. Udoh is a key player for us, both offensively and defensively. It's a very serious injury for the player but it's also very serious for the team. I hope that what happened would help to understand that there's the need to respect the health of the players. In the NBA you don't slip on the stickers because there are no stickers on the court."

Coach Scariolo said that the team will go back on the market in search of another player. "Now we need to get back on the phone to find a player. We cannot wait too much, we're gonna look for a player right away. I'm not optimistic about the injury, unfortunately."

Udoh was one of the main additions of the summer for Virtus Bologna and was supposed to have a key role in the team. But with the injury he suffered last night, it's unlikely that the fans will see him playing in the near future. The feeling around the medical staff of Virtus is that the patellar tendon of the knee might be involved. Further tests will be taken on Sunday.

Thank you for being with us! Subscribe to BN+ and browse ad-free.