WANDERERS have confirmed that midfielder Will Buckley suffered a fractured tibia during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw against Bristol Rovers at the UniBol.

The 30-year-old faces a significant spell on the side-lines and will have the injury surgically repaired over the next few days.

Buckley had only signed a short-term contract with Wanderers on Monday, having initially been released by the club on January 10.

It is understood the decision to bring him back was made after he had proved to the club he was completely over a fractured kneecap sustained playing against Rochdale in October.

Keith Hill described the blow of losing Buckley so early after his return as “devastating” but he does not regret the decision to bring him back to the club.

“We are in a market, we’re hunting, we’re trying to recruit,” he told The Bolton News. “We can only bring in five loans so we need permanent signings but the quality of those players out there is sparse.

“If we take any more than five loan signing then it creates drama, an odd one out. We desperately need that siege mentality and we can’t exclude anyone so we want people we can keep.

“So it was the right place at the right time to recruit Will on a permanent.”