New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has said that he is "disappointed" for Vince Wilfork after the defensive tackle was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Wilfork tore his Achilles tendon during his side's 30-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons this weekend, with Belichick confirming yesterday that he was unlikely to feature again this season.
The Patriots coach admitted that his side would not be able to replace the 31-year-old with just one player and hopes that the rest of the squad will step up to cover for his absence.
"Very disappointed for Vince. He's worked hard to prepare for the season. He's a true professional, gives us great leadership on and off the field. Great example for the younger players as well as the veteran players. He has a real commitment to the team and to winning," Belichick told radio station WEEI.
"Clearly, there are no Vince Wilforks just standing around out there on the corner waiting to sign with the Patriots or some other NFL team. He is a special player, one of the very best at his position. There's no way that you would replace him with one guy, that's totally unrealistic.
"But we'll try to do what we can to make our team as competitive as possible with the 46 guys we put out there against Cincinnati this Sunday."
The Patriots' win over the Falcons took them to 4-0 for the season.
Barney Corkhill
