Former England winger Andros Townsend escaped serious injury after being struck by a pitch roller while warming up before PT Prachuap’s Thai League 1 match at Pattani. His leg briefly became trapped under the vehicle, but the 35-year-old was able to come on as a substitute during Prachuap’s 3-0 victory, making the bizarre incident notable rather than medically serious.

The incident was captured on social media and appeared to show a staff member losing control of the roller before it hit Townsend. The 13-cap England international later joked about the episode on Instagram, referring to his earlier comparisons between sunny Thai away trips and Stoke’s less appealing conditions, saying: “It turns out Stoke away wasn’t so bad after all.”