Luis Suarez bite: You're more likely to be bitten by Uruguay striker than by a shark

Footballers beware: You have a one in 2,000 chance of getting the Suarez treatment

Thursday 26 June 2014 15:15 BST

Luis Suarez holds his teeth while Giorgio Chiellini lies in pain (Getty Images)

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Uruguay and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has played 441 matches at senior level.

He may have scored 260 goals, but he's also bitten three opponents, PSV's Otman Bakkal, Chelsea's Branislav Ivanonic and Giorgio Chiellini in the game against Italy.

UPDATE: Luis Suarez banned for nine matches

Some (very rough) working out by the New Statesman shows that Suarez will have played a maximum of 6,160 opponents during his career - 11 opponents and the three substitutes.

Having bitten three opponents in that time, they surmise that any opponent of Suarez has about a one in 2,000 chance of getting the same treatment by the 27-year-old.

To put that sum into context, there is a one in 3.7m chance of being bitten by a shark in the ocean, a one in 10,000 chance of being struck by lightning an one in 76,000 chance of being killed by a wasp, bee or hornet attack and a one in 700,000 chance of being hit by an asteroid.

With all three of those bites coming in the neck/shoulder area, it's clear which part of their body players will need to protect.

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