Town boss Roy Keane says Damien Delaney’s thigh injury could have ended the defender's career had the Blues’ medical staff not got him to hospital a quickly as they did. The 28-year-old underwent two operations over the weekend after suffering the injury in training and is expected to be out of action for three months.

Keane says the injury, which is similar to the one suffered by Tottenham's Christian Ziege a few years ago, initially appeared to be just a routine dead leg: “It was just a tackle in training, but he carried on the session and it was only afterwards he started feeling the discomfort. The doctor was called and he went straight to the hospital.

“We’re lucky we’re two minutes from the hospital and as soon as they brought him down there they took him off for an operation.

“He had the first operation on Thursday afternoon and had another operation on Saturday. It’s a serious injury and he’ll probably be out for three months.”

The Blues boss says Delaney was fortunate that a potentially more serious situation was averted: “He’s a very lucky boy. He was very lucky our medical staff got him to the hospital very quickly and they operated very quickly.

“There was a lot of bleeding and they had to open up his leg, but we believe the surgery went very well.

“It could have been the end of his career, very much so. It’s a big blow to us, a big blow.”

Keane says he probably won't look at signing anyone as cover for the former Hull City and QPR man, challenging Tommy Smith, Alex Bruce and Troy Brown to win themselves a place in the side: "I think we might have to cover but we'll wait and see. We'll have a look at it over the next few days."

Meanwhile, Town chief scout Steve McCall was at his former club Plymouth’s pre-season game against NAC Breda on Saturday afternoon. McCall met fellow former Blues Paul Mariner, who is currently coaching the Pilgrims, and Breda-based Romeo Zondervan at the match, which Argyle won 1-0.

Elsewhere, ex-Town loanee Franny Jeffers is training with Blackpool having been released by Sheffield Wednesday.

Photo: Action Images

MaySixth added 09:11 - Jul 19 Here's to a swift return Damien.
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J45 added 09:13 - Jul 19 get well soon damiem becuase he is our best defender
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Blueboy added 09:22 - Jul 19 Good luck Damien, hope everything runs smoothly and you get back to full fitness soon.
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TractorMan added 09:45 - Jul 19 Yes, please get back soon or let Smith play as we don't want Bruce anywhere near the side!
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mickeyjb added 09:49 - Jul 19 All the best Damo, you will be missed! Not good news
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JayITFC added 09:51 - Jul 19 Would be nice to have a few more details on this - the club are a little vague. What could you do to your thigh that could be career threatening? Any doctors on TWTD!? Find it strange that what was thought to be a dead leg turned into 2 ops in the space of a weekend. When Keane says a lot of bleeding I presume he means internally, suggesting the femoral artery?
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Doctor_Albran added 10:08 - Jul 19 An aterial bleed would seem more likely as any muscular damage would have meant that he wouldn't have been able to continue training due to the pain. With an internal bleed, the muscular cavity (area around the muscle) would have filled with blood applying pressure to the muscles and effectively crushing them and starving them of oxygen - causing potential longterm muscle damage. The muscle wall would have had to be cut open to a) release the pressure on the muscles and b) release the build up of blood after which the artery would have had to be repaired. May also have developed a clot, given the time of the injury and the initial delay in treatment. So the muscle wall needs to repair itself before you can start exercising again, else it will continue to split!hence the long term prognosis. P.S. I'm not a real doctor, but I had a similar issue with my calf - fortunately I managed to avoid having my calf sliced open to release the pressure - and always take Ibuprofen after a heavy knock, not taking pain killers doesn't make you a man, it makes you an idiot (as the doctor told me!)

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pauliejaz added 10:09 - Jul 19 It was a blod clot i believe.
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hucks216 added 10:25 - Jul 19 Bad news for what was one of the few highlights of last season, .i.e. a solid defensive partnership at CB. But it does illustrate just how much our season could depend on such things with a paper thin squad - imagine if this had been Connor Wickham!
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bluepeter added 10:32 - Jul 19 Dralbram, did Richard Wright have the same problem with his hands?
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Back_The_Boss added 10:33 - Jul 19 Good luck Damien, here's to a swift return.
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gypo added 10:42 - Jul 19 I can see in certain members eyes this is gonna be keane's fault. Come on Elvis let's be having you !!
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TractorGeek added 11:11 - Jul 19 Dilemma for Keane... does he give Smith a chance - or get a dud in. Unfortunately for Smith a dud will already be on order from rent-a-dud.
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blueblue87 added 11:41 - Jul 19 What about giving Eastman a chance?? he always does well for reserves scored a hit trick at the weekend, cant see why Troy Brown would be in front of him!!!
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denhamblue added 11:58 - Jul 19 um,quick answer,we wont get anyone in.
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SeriouslyDelusional added 12:00 - Jul 19 No dilemma, we have a ready made replacement in Smith, and Eastman waiting in the wings for further cover.
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MaySixth added 12:08 - Jul 19 Our starting defence worries the sh** out of me
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comeonthegoodtimes added 12:27 - Jul 19 My uncles house is on playford road where the town train and he was walking his dog past the enterance this morning and saw what he said was a dead ringer for Darren purse in the car park, he was talking to a few of the staff there, my uncle watched for a bit then they went inside. If this was indeed darren then i for one wouldn't be to disappointed as a temp replacement for damien, good in the air and a sound defender, also a good leader on the pitch. Thoughts??

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WadzillaBhoy added 12:59 - Jul 19 Its a shame DD is easily our best CB but Smith will do a great job and will relish the opportunity.
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RetroBlue added 13:05 - Jul 19 it was probably an intermuscular Haematoma. If it is left unattended, it will eventually clacify and destroy what mucle he has left. The pressure of the entrapped bleeding will cause secondary muscle cell death and is the reason they have to operate tio release the pressure. His anterior thigh will probably have been opened up extensively and may even still be left covered but "open" until they are happy that the pressure / bleeding has stopped. This kind of injury is normally due to a significant contusion force. The other thing that is a problem is the risk of secnodary blood clots travelling to other organs resulting in things such as a pulmonary embolism, stroke or cardiac arrest. He may even have to be on warfarin or claxzine for a period of time to bust any clots! Not a nice injury at all , as if any injury was nice !

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Fatboy added 13:07 - Jul 19 Can anyone clarify where this happened? The BBC website states it was in the Netherlands on Thursday, but this website states it was on Friday and implies it was at Playford Road.
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Fatboy added 13:08 - Jul 19 PS Have a swift recovery Damien, wherever you are!
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RetroBlue added 13:14 - Jul 19 ps it certainly wasnt a femoral artery injury ...he'd have been dead within 5 mins !
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Bergholtblue added 13:32 - Jul 19 Echo the good wishes. Here's wishing Damian a full and speedy recovery. Congratulations to all those who helped him and indentified the seriousness of the problem and acted so promptly to help him.
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legoman added 13:33 - Jul 19 Dr Albran. You ought to consider being a doctor or as a replacement for "House" if he gets ill.
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