Stephen Ireland should have been sent off - Steve Bruce

Stephen Ireland was not even booked for a first-half foul on David Meyler

Hull manager Steve Bruce says Stoke City midfielder Stephen Ireland should have been sent off before his injury in Saturday's meeting.

Tigers defender Maynor Figueroa injured Ireland in Stoke's 1-0 win.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes said it "could have finished Stephen's career", and Ireland "needed 12 or 15 stitches".

But Bruce replied: "He committed the worst challenge on the pitch on David Meyler. He shouldn't have been on the pitch if the referee had done his job."

A gruesome picture was published by national newspapers of Ireland's cut leg.

"I could show you a picture of Figueroa's ankle, he had five stitches in it and carried on", Bruce said.

"Nobody wants to see a cut or an injury as bad as Stephen Ireland had but unfortunately in football it happens."

Hull manager Bruce said the severity of the injury was made worse by the design of modern football boots

Bruce attributed the nature of Ireland's injury to the modern blade design of football boots.

"Everybody is wearing the boots called blades and the challenge on Ireland, he's kicked the ball and followed through and unfortunately has caught his leg."

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