Victor Lindelof left Manchester United’s Europa League match against Lyon at half-time as his youngest son Francis was rushed to hospital after “splitting his entire head open”.
Lindelof was named as a substitute in Ruben Amorim’s matchday squad for the Europa League second leg at Old Trafford, but left the stadium after the first half when learning his son was badly wounded falling into a glass staircase at home.
The Sweden international’s wife Maja has described the episode on social media, saying that their son required plastic surgery and would be left with a permanent scar on his forehead.
Maja explained that she received a call from their babysitter an hour before the match, saying that they were on their way to the hospital.
“My youngest son Francis had split his entire head open,” she said on Snapchat, in quotes cited by Swedish outlet Expressen. “He had been chasing his big brother Ted Louie at home, and fallen into our glass staircase.”
Maja said that the incident would leave Francis, who spent Thursday night and Friday in hospital, with permanent scarring after “his forehead was in two parts”, with plastic surgery required to mend his forehead.
“He was put under anaesthetic. It is the first time I have experienced something like this happening with one of my children. It was incredibly unpleasant, and not something I want to experience again.”
Maja, who married Victor Lindelof in 2018 with the couple expecting their third child later this year, described Francis as a “viking” who was “back on track” after the operation.
“Everyone was so worried, but he continues his life as if nothing has happened,” she explained. “The doctors say he will have a big scar on his forehead. But never mind — I’m just happy that it went so well.”
United centre-back Lindelof, 30, returned to action on Sunday as he captained Amorim’s side against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Lindelof moved to Old Trafford from Benfica in 2017 but his contract at the club expires this summer.
United secured a dramatic 5-4 victory over Lyon after extra time, securing their place in the Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club of Bilbao.
(Alex Pantling/Getty Images)