Eduardo da Silva was released from hospital yesterday, four days after suffering the horrific injury against Birmingham City that left him facing a long road to a recovery, with the prompt and effective treatment he received within seconds of his leg being broken credited for giving him a chance of playing again this year.

An Arsenal statement said that the striker wanted to thank wellwishers for the messages of support he has received - more than 12,500 by e-mail alone. Slaven Bilic, the Croatia coach, said that he did not blame the injury on Martin Taylor, the Birmingham defender.

“The injury made the tackle look bad,” Bilic said. “You see many tackles like that almost every week. I’m sure Martin Taylor is a sportsman and he wanted to play the ball. On another occasion, Eduardo could have received a worse tackle and got away without injury.”

The striker was visited yesterday by Vlatko Markovic, the president of the Croatian FA, and Zorislav Srebic, the general secretary. “It is a very worrying time,” Markovic said. “All of Croatia has been wrapped in black.”

Arsenal predict that the forward will be back in action in nine months, but Srebic is pinning his hopes on a swifter return. “We hope it is maybe six, seven months,” he said. “I spoke to Eduardo and he is optimistic.”

Details emerged yesterday of the quick actions by medical staff that have helped to give the player the best chance of a full recovery from the fractured left fibula and dislocated ankle suffered after Taylor’s mistimed tackle early in the 2-2 draw with Birmingham at St Andrew’s.

When he arrived on the scene, seconds after the challenge, Gary Lewin, the long-serving Arsenal and England physiotherapist, asked for Gilberto Silva to be sent on as a translator because, in his distress, Eduardo was talking in his native Portuguese.

Lewin ensured that Eduardo was receiving oxygen and “laughing gas” to ease his pain. The broken left leg was kept still by hand until a vacuum splint could be applied.

At Selly Oak hospital, doctors consulted Arsenal’s medical staff and it was decided to operate immediately because the bone had broken through the skin, increasing the risk of infection. The dislocated ankle was reset and plates and screws were inserted into the fractures. Small screws repaired the medial ligament, which had ruptured, but other ligaments and the tibia were unscathed.

Eduardo’s stitches will be removed in about a week and his leg will be put in plaster for at least another six weeks. The 25-year-old should be able to run again in August and, ideally, he will be training with the first team in November.