Jamie Vardy misses Cremonese vs Fiorentina: injury, the Rooney trial and the curious LEGO figurine

Friends and foes, hello again. The battle cry at the Zini usually has one name: Jamie Vardy. But tomorrow night, when Cremonese face Fiorentina in a showdown that's all about breathing room, that roar will be missing. The English battering ram is out. Done for. No wry smiles, no shark-like runs, no balls smashed into the net with the fury of a man who went from non-league to dream-chaser for half of England. And right now, in Cremona, they needed their Vardy more than ever.

A weighty absence

The news broke yesterday from the training ground: muscle problems for the grey-and-reds' number nine. Time is incredibly tight, and boss Stroppa will have to get creative to replace not just a goal scorer, but a talisman. With him on the pitch, the team felt they could take on any defence, even the Viola's. Without him, the air gets thin. In this final survival push, losing your most influential player is a massive blow. And to think, when he first arrived in Italy, few believed he could still make such an impact. But Jaime Vardy – yes, some mangle his name like he's a matador – quickly set the record straight: grit and goals, even at 39 years old.

From Leicester legend to the media trial with Rooney

Because Vardy isn't just a footballer; he's a brand, a story. When you talk about him off the pitch, you inevitably get drawn into the depths of English gossip. And that brings us back to the chapter that dominated headlines for months: Vardy VS Rooney: the trial. The war between the wives, Rebekah and Coleen, turned into a legal battle that amused and divided the public. A soap opera complete with courtroom exchanges, leaked messages, and fake postal packages. An affair that put Jamie's image to the test, but one he's always faced head-on, just like he does in the penalty box.

And if you think the oddities end there, think again. There are also those who Google Nathan Vardy, maybe a relative, maybe a namesake, maybe just a typo. But Nathan, right now, is irrelevant. All eyes are on Jamie. And on his absence.

The quirky side: a LEGO set dedicated to Vardy?

But when a player becomes a legend, his fame transcends the pitch. And so, among the strangest memorabilia, pops up the LEGO - 70141 Vardy's Glide Vulture. Yes, you read that right. A hard-to-find set that some obsessed collectors have re-christened, for some strange reason. Maybe because his way of gliding into the box, quick and lethal, resembles a vulture? Whatever the case, on fan forums, tips are exchanged on where to find that mythical box, a symbol of a player who's become a pop icon. Nerd stuff, sure, but it gives you an idea of how much Vardy has entered the collective imagination.

• The weight of absence: Vardy misses the survival clash, Stroppa looks to other attacking options.
• International gossip: The Rooney trial continues to make waves, a long shadow over his career.
• Curiosity: The LEGO 70141, now hard to find, has become a cult item for die-hard fans.

Now, as Cremonese prepare for the battle against Fiorentina, the only hope is that the enforced rest does him good. Because to stay in Serie A, they need his goals. The real ones, not the plastic ones. And who knows, maybe next Sunday, against another team, he'll be back to flying low, the way only his glide-vulture can. Provided, of course, he leaves the courtrooms and name mix-ups behind. And remembers that there's only one true Jamie Vardy. And in Cremona, they're waiting for him, holding their breath.