Manchester United and England great Bobby Charlton has been unable to personally receive a Laureus Sports Awards honour because he had to undergo minor surgery.
Charlton won the lifetime achievement award in London on Monday, 54 years to the day after surviving the Munich air disaster that killed eight members of his Man United team.
But Laureus says the 74-year-old Charlton felt unwell on Sunday in London and “returned to Manchester earlier today for minor surgery.”
Further details were not immediately available.
United manager Alex Ferguson collected the award on Charlton's behalf.
Ferguson says Charlton “is fine but it was felt he should go back to Manchester. He is very annoyed not to be here to receive this award.”
(Sapa, February 2012)