Russian football star Lina Yakupova copped two black eyes and a trail of blood seeping from her head after being smashed to the floor in a sickening collision during a game for Zenit St. Petersburg, wiping the brave forward out.
International Yakupova took a shuddering smack directly from an opponent's head as she leapt up in an attempt to win the ball, poleaxing the star for the Russian Premier League champions' women's team in a horrific clash of heads.
The Russian women's team spotted the harrowing incident, wishing Yakupova better as they replayed the shocking footage that included the Zenit newcomer crying as she was led from the pitch by a physio while heavily bandaged in the 2-0 win at Rubin Kazan.
A blonde team-mate rushed over to offer Yakupova a kiss as she made her way off, her white shirt stained with blood the medics had been unable to stem from dripping out.
There was then relief for fans as Yakupova was filmed boarding the Zenit coach, clutching a bunch of flowers and making her way to a seat.
On her own Instagram account, Yakupova portrayed herself resting on a bed and taking a stroll with her face looking unrecognizable and her head still covered by a bandage.
"I want to thank everyone for the support," she announced via FC Zenit Women's social media. "I received a lot of messages wishing me health.
"I have a cut on my head that has already been stitched up. There is no concussion – my head doesn't hurt. Once again, I want to express my gratitude to everyone for the support."
The 30-year-old helped Russia qualify for Euro 2022 earlier this year and was clearly thrilled to start playing for Zenit, joining their pre-season training camp in Turkey.
"The season will be super busy," she predicted, looking ahead to the start of the championship.
Photogenic Yakupova also took part in a kit photoshoot at the Leningrad Metal Plant, describing the "audacity" of the resulting shots as "off the scale".
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