Posts circulating on social media allegedly showing graphic photos of injured Ireland star Richard Keogh have been confirmed as "fake" by his club.
A spokesman for Derby County has told Irish Mirror Sport that the photos, alleging to show Keogh's devastating knee injury, are fake.
The pictures that have been shared hundreds of time on social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat and WhatsApp, sparked a huge reaction from fans of the defender's club and country.
Keogh, 33, was ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash on Tuesday night.
The footballer was a passenger in a car which crashed in the Allestree area of Derby.
Teammates Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett were arrested and charged with drink driving after the alleged incident.
The pair are set to face trial at magistrates court in October following the alleged incident.
And in a statement on the club website, Derby County confirmed Keogh will be out for the rest of the season.
It said: "The players were out as part of a scheduled team-building dinner with staff and while the majority of them acted responsibly and left at around 8pm and were not involved, a small group, including the team captain Richard Keogh, continued drinking into the night.
"They should have known when to stop and also ignored the opportunity to be driven home using cars laid on by the club, and chose to stay out.
"As a result of an alcohol-related incident, Richard Keogh has sustained a serious knee injury that will prevent him from playing until the end of the season.
"Those involved in Tuesday’s incident know they will pay a heavy price for their actions, but also that we will support them with their rehabilitation back into the squad and team.
"We fully support the work of our partners at Drinkaware and the unsanctioned actions of this small group of players is totally at odds the stance that both Drinkaware and Derby County Football Club take regards alcohol. We will be using this situation to redouble our efforts in highlighting the dangers posed by alcohol.
"We would also like to thank the emergency services for their swift help."
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