Former Manchester City defender Omar Elabdellaoui rushed to hospital after suffering burns to his face in a ‘New Year’s Eve firework incident’ at his home in Turkey
- Omar Elabdellaoui was partying on New Year’s Eve when the firework went off
- The star Galatasaray defender was soon rushed to hospital after suffering burns
- The full extent of the damage is not yet known, the club revealed in a statement
Galatasaray defender Omar Elabdellaoui was rushed to hospital after suffering burns to his face when a firework exploded in his hand last night.
There are fears the 29-year-old may have sustained a degree of vision loss after the horror incident, as reported by the Turkish media, although the full extent of the damage is not yet known.
Elabdellaoui, who played for Manchester City between 2011 and 2013, is understood to be receiving treatment from specialist doctors.
Former Manchester City defender Omar Elabdellaoui was rushed to hospital after an incident
The Norway international was celebrating on New Year’s Eve at his home when the firework prematurely exploded.
A statement from the Turkish club said: ‘Our player Omar Elabdellaoui was taken to Liv Hospital tonight.
‘Unfortunately, he was injured in an incident at home. In the hospital he received first aid.
‘The seriousness of his injuries will be announced at a later date. We hope that our important player will return healthy and well as soon as possible.’
The full back (left) suffered burns to his face after a firework exploded in his hands last night
Galatasaray added that more updates on the damage will be provided in due course.
A number of key figures from the club are understood to have visited Elabdellaoui in hospital.
Vice president Adurrahim Albayrak, boss Fatih Terim and captain Arda Turan spent time at the full back’s side.
Board member Albayrak also commented on the situation outside the hospital in Istanbul.
The full extent of the damage Elabdellaoui (left) sustained from the firework is not yet known
‘Omar’s eyes will be washed, cared for, and his situation will only be clear afterwards,’ he said in a statement. ‘The club will do its best to heal the player fully.’
Elabdellaoui has previously also turned out for Hull after joining them on loan in 2017. He made nine appearances.
He has featured 20 times across all competitions for club and country this season.
After it was announced in August that Elabdellaoui would be leaving Olympiacos following his successful six-year spell, the star then moved to Galatasaray.