Rio back among the flying tackles

Rio Ferdinand, the £18 million defender who injured himself watching television, was today back in a less dangerous setting.

The England defender was flying in with tackles on Leeds United's training ground this morning after hospital scans on the tendon he damaged while relaxing with his feet on a coffee table on Friday passed him fit to resume playing.

The world's most expensive defender is even considering playing in tomorrow night's home Premiership match with Aston Villa.

His injury had ranked as one of the more bizarre of recent times. Players can expect to be hurt if they are hit by a crunching tackle or a vicious elbow assault but injuring yourself watching television is enough to scare all fellow coach potatoes. Leeds manager David O'Leary said: "It was a freak accident and typical of this season. It wasn't even on the training ground, he was watching television and had his foot up on the coffee table. He had it there in a certain position for a number of hours . . . and strained a tendon behind his knee!"

Well, if he watches television for "a number of hours" at least we know the problems he's had on the pitch with lapses of concentration do not affect his ability to stare at the box.

Sadly, a Leeds spokesman said he did not know which programme Ferdinand was watching when the injury happened, although Casualty, ER and Holby City are possibilities.