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.