The extent of Wayne Rooney's current injury was so severe that it could have cast a doubt over his future, according to the Manchester United striker.
Rooney is currently sidelined after the studs of Fulham's Hugo Rodallega left him with a deep thigh wound.
It was an unsavoury incident and one that the England international now claims could have caused him even more trouble.
In an interview with national newspapers, Rooney said: "I was quite lucky it didn't cut my muscle.
"I was told it was just one millimetre away from severing an artery. It could have been a lot worse, so thank God for that. I could have been in serious trouble.
"The doctors said a lot of players could have fainted. They tried to cover it up from me in the dressing room and put something in it to stop it being infected, but I told them I wanted to watch. Thankfully, their prompt action prevented serious and possible lasting damage."
Rooney's injury has stopped him developing a partnership with new signing Robin van Persie who, in Rooney's absence, scored a match-winning hat-trick at Southampton last weekend.
Some pundits have suggested Van Persie's arrival spells the end for Rooney at Old Trafford, but he thinks nothing of the sort.
"You can't assume you're going to play but I've always worked very hard to make sure the manager has got to play me," he said. It's great for us now. I'm looking forward to getting back in the team and trying to forge an understanding with Robin."
On leaving, he added: "Let's be honest, where else can you go from this football club? It's probably the biggest in the world."
