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Gaston Ramirez has been taken to hospital after being injured at Sunderland.

He and Dejan Lovren were both stretchered off after picking up injuries within seconds of each other at either end of the pitch.

Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino initally said both players had been taken to hospital but the latest update from the club has revealed that Lovren didn't go to hospital and left the Stadium of Light wearing a protective boot. Ramirez is in hospital for X-rays on his ankle.

The team were due to fly back to Southampton from Newcastle airport immediately after the game but will now wait in the north east in the hope the stricken midfielder can come back with them.

Horrific images have surfaced of Ramirez's ankle at a terrible angle after Wes Brown's challenge went through the ball and into his left leg.

Play continued up to the other end where Lovren was injured in a challenge with Steven Fletcher.

Daily Echo: Dejan Lovren being stretchered off the pitch.

Pochettino said: "They are being assessed at the moment so we don’t need exactly what happened.

"We hope that it’s not as bad as we saw from the images on the pitch."

He added: "You could see they were in a lot of pain.

"I saw them before going to hospital and they were in a lot of pain."