Aquilani escapes serious head injury

Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani was taken to hospital after suffering a head injury during Euro 2012 qualifying.

Aquilani, on loan at Juventus from Liverpool, suffered the knock early in the 3-0 win over Estonia on Friday and will miss Tuesday’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland.

He said he was pleased the injury was not serious injury after tests showed the knock to be head trauma.

“For a while everything looked as if it was in fog,” Aquilani told Sky Sport Italia.

“I asked (teammate) Riccardo Montolivo what was on my head and he told me to immediately get it looked at by the medical staff as I had a large bump.”

“Fortunately it was just a nasty knock to the head as these things can be dangerous.”

Aquilani’s club future remains uncertain but a decision from the Serie A and English Premier League giants is expected in the next few days.

The 26-year-old is keen to stay in Turin but Juventus has failed to meet the eight million pound fee agreed with Liverpool.

Aquilani also praised Italy coach Cesare Prandelli for the new style of play he has implemented with the national side.

“Prandelli is one of the best coaches in the world,” Aquilani said.

“With him, it’s all about the quality of our football and that is the big difference compared to previous administrations.”

Italy are five points clear in Group C as they aim to qualify for next year’s tournament in Ukraine and Poland.