Freedman: Davies injury a sickener for player, club and fans
8:30am Saturday 2nd March 2013 in Sport By David Pye
WANDERERS have been dealt a huge blow to their play-off hopes after influential midfielder Mark Davies was ruled out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage.
Boss Dougie Freedman confirmed ahead of today’s trip to Barnsley that the 25-year-old, who has only recently returned from two months out with a shoulder injury, is likely to be out of action until 2014 – up to 10 months on the sidelines.
Davies limped off during the first half of the midweek win over Peterborough, just hours after signing an extended contract to remain at the Reebok until 2017.
And scans have revealed the club’s worst fears with anterior cruciate ligament damage to his left knee meaning he will go under the surgeon’s knife on Wednesday.
Freedman said: “Mark will be out for a lengthy time, between eight to 10 months.
“It’s a big blow for the kid as he has just come back after injury.
“It’s also a big blow for the fans because he is such a talent to watch every week.
“We have to understand it is a huge loss for us.
“It is a blow for him right now, though, because he has missed three months of the season already and he is a very influential player – not just in my time but he would be important in any team.
“The scans showed he has damaged the anterior cruciate knee ligaments and he will go for an operation on Wednesday.”
The injury to Davies robs Freedman of a player who scored his sixth goal from midfield in last weekend’s 4-1 win over Hull City for what could be a crucial Championship run-in.
But his thoughts are firmly with supporting the youngster over the coming months and he hopes the sight of team-mates Stuart Holden and David Wheater returning from similar injuries and lengthy lay-offs will give Davies the motivation to come back stronger.
Freedman added: “We will do all we can to support him, of course.
“He is going to see specialist in London before the operation and he will come back a stronger player, I am sure.
“But he will be encouraged to see Stuart Holden and David Wheater coming back from similar injuries at the minute which shows it can be done.
“On the field, it’s not fantastic news but there are one or two players I think can step up to the plate.”
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