Jamie Vardy out of Cremonese-Fiorentina: Injury, the Rooney trial and the curious LEGO figurine

Friends and foes, greetings to you all. The battle cry at the Zini usually has one name: Jamie Vardy. But tomorrow evening, when Cremonese lock horns with Fiorentina in a playoff that's all about survival, that roar will be missing. The English striker is out. Stopped. No wry smiles, no shark-like runs, no smashing the ball into the net with the fury of a man who rose from non-league to become a dream for half of England. And right now, at Cremona, they needed their Vardy more than ever.

An absence that weighs a ton

The news broke yesterday from the training ground: muscular issues for the grey-reds' number 9. Time is incredibly tight, and coach Stroppa will have to get creative to replace not just a goalscorer, but a talisman. With him on the pitch, the team felt they could take on any defence, even the Viola's. Without him, things get dicey. In this final sprint for safety, losing your most iconic 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 mispronounce his name like that, as if he were a bullfighter – made things clear immediately: grit and goals, even at 39 years old.

From the Leicester legend to the media trial with Rooney

Because Vardy isn't just a footballer, he's a brand, a story in himself. When you talk about him off the pitch, you inevitably have to dive into the depths of English gossip. And there it is, 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 made half the world both laugh and debate. A soap opera complete with court exchanges, secret messages, and fake postal packages. An affair that put Jamie's image to the test, but one he always faced head-on, just like he does in the penalty box.

And if you think the oddities end there, you're wrong. There are also those who search Google for Nathan Vardy, perhaps a relative, perhaps a namesake, or maybe just a typo. But Nathan, right now, is besides the point. All attention is on Jamie. And on his absence.

The quirky side: A LEGO piece 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 Glider-Vulture. Yes, you read that right. A hard-to-find set that some crazy collectors have nicknamed this way, 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, they're sharing tips on where to find that mythical box, a symbol of a player who has become a pop icon. A bit nerdy, 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 trial with Rooney continues to make waves, a long shadow over his career.
• Curiosity: The LEGO 70141, impossible to find, has become a cult item for die-hard fans.

Now, as Cremonese prepare for the assault on Fiorentina, the only hope is that this forced 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, perhaps against another team, he'll be back to flying low like only his glider-vulture knows how. Provided, of course, he can leave the courtrooms and namesakes behind. And remember that there's only one true Jamie Vardy. And in Cremona, they're waiting for him, breath held.