Serie A player forced to release statement after 'zombie bite' injury goes viral

One Serie A player has been forced to release a statement after an image of him went viral.

On Saturday, Bologna took on Venezia in the Serie A at the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo.

Bologna came away 1-0 winners thanks to Riccardo Orsolini's goal in the 49th minute.

During the match, fans were quick to react on social media after seeing a picture of Bologna striker Jens Odgaard's neck.

The Dane was seen with a huge red mark on the back of his neck, with the image instantly going viral.

After fans speculated the mark was a 'zombie bite' or a 'shark bite', Odgaard was forced to explain the matter.

Bologna star Jens Odgaard responds after image went viral on social media

Taking to social media, the 26-year-old wrote: "3 points back Home from a difficult place! It's just a medicine I'm using for my neck, nothing serious."

So far in the 24/25 season, Odgaard has managed six goals and three assists in 31 matches across all competitions.

As a result of the win over Venezia, Bologna moved up to fourth place in the Serie A table and are two points behind Atalanta.

Vincenzo Italiano's team will be looking to end the season on a high and secure a place in next season's Champions League.

Bologna were involved in Europe's premier club competition this season but failed to make it into the next round after finishing in 28th place.

They only managed to collect six points from eight matches, with a record of one win, three draws and four defeats.

During the league phase, Bologna were beaten by the likes of Liverpool, Aston Villa, AS Monaco and Lille, but did manage to beat German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Next up, Bologna will take on Empoli in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday night at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.