Sheffield United's one-time transfer target Ismaël Koné suffered a horror leg injury in Canada’s historic 6-0 win over Qatar at the World Cup on Thursday, leaving everyone watching distressed. Koné, who held talks with United about the prospect of a move to Bramall Lane in the summer of 2022, was forced off just over ten minutes into the second half of Canada’s first ever World Cup victory after being caught by Qatar’s Assim Omer Madibo. The Canadian midfielder immediately went to ground, covering his mouth with his hand, meaning he instantly knew it was a serious injury. He was immediately attended to by the medical staff and Assim Madibo was visibly upset, recognising Koné was in distress. The 29-year-old was initially shown a yellow card before VAR upgraded it to a red. Koné left the pitch on a stretcher, requiring oxygen, but he was sitting up and was able to give a thumbs up to the fans inside the BC Place Vancouver. Canada boss Jesse Marsch said post-match that everybody was shaken by the experience because of the nature of the injury. The Sassuolo midfielder was lined up as a target for the Blades four years ago amid the prospect of them losing Sander Berge. Interest was rife in the Norwegian throughout the 2022 summer transfer window after United had missed out on promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2021/22 campaign. Koné was lined up as Berge’s replacement and he travelled to Montreal airport on deadline day in anticipation of flying to England to join the Blades. However, Berge stayed at Bramall Lane and Koné ended up joining Watford in January 2023. Addressing United’s interest in the midfielder in December 2022, the former Blades boss said that Koné was someone they had spoken to in the summer, but financially they could only do it if they sold players. The injury to Koné is a big loss for Canada, who have guided their side to four points from their opening two Group B matches. The incident has left everyone associated with the team and the player shaken, and fans will be hoping for a speedy recovery for the midfielder. Sheffield United's fans will also be keeping a close eye on the situation, given the club's past interest in the player. The World Cup has seen its fair share of injuries, but this one was particularly distressing, given the severity of the incident. As the tournament progresses, fans will be hoping that there are no more incidents like this, and that players can compete without suffering serious injuries.