Battery of tests should determine seriousness of Sun's injury

Manchester City's Chinese international Sun Jihai was scheduled to undergo a series of tests and scans last night in an attempt to discover the full extent of the knee injury he suffered in Sunday's game against Chelsea.

The 27-year-old defender/midfielder told his father, Sun Zongliang, a strength and conditioning coach for the youth team at his former club Dalian Shide, that he heard something snap in his knee when he tangled with Chelsea forward Eidur Gudjohnsen shortly before half-time and knew immediately that it was serious.

Sun Snr told colleagues at Dalian Shide that he called his son early yesterday only to be teased for showing such concern.

'He said 'Hey father, why do you call me?' He joked with his father to keep him relaxed,' a club official said.

'He said 'It's just an injury. Don't worry. I'm still myself. I'll still be able to play football. Injuries are normal; a sportsman has to take risks'.'

Sun Jihai's coach Kevin Keegan said after the match that the player had damaged the cruciate and medial ligaments in his left knee and that he would be out for a year. The diagnosis, if correct, would mean the first lengthy injury lay off in an career that has seen the Dalian native twice leave his home town club for spells in England.