Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva breaks leg, likely to miss Euro 2008

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger condemned Birmingham defender Martin Taylor for his tackle that broke Eduardo da Silva's left leg and put the Croatia striker out of the European Championship.

Taylor was sent off for his third-minute tackle in Birmingham's 2-2 tie ith Arsenal on Saturday, causing an injury that distressed some of the players.

"I think this guy should never play football again," Wenger said of Taylor. "What is he doing on the football pitch?

"I feel that goes around with the idea for a long time that, to stop Arsenal, you have to kick Arsenal. I knew that was coming for a long time now.

"The season is over for (Eduardo) and the injury is very, very bad. More than the season is over."

The Brazilian-born striker lay on the field at St. Andrews for almost eight minutes receiving medical attention to his leg. Eduardo was eventually carried off and taken straight to hospital.

Eduardo has four goals in 16 games for the Gunners this season. He has scored 13 in 22 matches for Croatia, which has qualified for Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland in June.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish defended Taylor.

"Martin's distraught about the lad's injury," McLeish said. "It's certainly not in Martin Taylor's makeup at all to commit a malicious tackle."