Centre-half Damien Delaney has admitted he was concerned about his footballing future after suffering his horror thigh injury in the summer. The Irish international played his first game since suffering the problem as the reserves lost 2-0 to Oxford United at Portman Road yesterday.
Delaney suffered compartment syndrome in his thigh in pre-season training, an injury which can potentially lead to serious muscle damage and even the loss of a limb.
The problem initially appeared to be nothing more serious than a dead leg but as the pain became intense and the thigh continued to swell, the defender was rushed to Ipswich Hospital where surgeons immediately cut into his thigh to reduce the pressure on the muscle.
At that stage Delaney admits that he was seriously worried: "It was pretty bad, to be honest with you. On the first day of the injury I had to have a second operation to try and close [the incision made to relieve the muscle pressure].
"Then they were saying there might be problems closing it and I might need skin graft, and if I had a skin graft I’d struggle to play again.
"Luckily the surgeon, Dr Pryke, did a fabulous job for me, he stitched it pretty well and it’s a credit to him and the staff that I’m back playing after only seven or eight weeks.”
The 29-year-old says he has been contacted by people who have been more seriously affected by similar problems: "I’ve had letters from people showing their support. I had a letter from a woman who said that she had suffered the same injury. She played sport and she lost 75% of her thigh muscle. They had to remove her thigh basically.
"That was a distinct possibility for me, really realistic. Losing a leg would have been the worst case scenario, but losing the muscle was a huge possibility.
"If they’d have cut any of my thigh muscle then that would have been it for me,” he continued. "Stitching the wound back up again was another huge thing otherwise I would have needed a skin graft, which would probably have put an end to it as well.”
Once he was over the initial effects of the injury, rebuilding the thigh was the main task: "Rehab went brilliantly. The biggest problem was trying to build the leg back up because the amount of muscle wastage was frightening. My leg had wasted away.
"I’ve had a lot of work to do in the gym with the weights trying to build it back up again and the only way I’m going to get fitter is by playing.
"But the thigh is now brand new, perfect injury-wise. It’s just a case of getting the feel for playing again, and that will come.”
Delaney says he is greatly appreciative of the treatment he received: "I couldn’t have asked any more and that’s why I’m eternally grateful that I’m back playing 45 minutes of a reserve team game. I’m absolutely delighted that I’m playing a reserve team game."
The Cork-born defender says he has been impressed with Town’s performances in his absence: "I’ve been watching with interest! I’ve seen nearly all the games. I just think the break of the ball has gone our way at the start of the season. Chances that we were creating last year which weren’t going in are all of a sudden finding the back of the net. Things just seem to be going for us.
"That comes from a positive attitude from us. Last year balls were hitting the post and going wide, this year they’re hitting the post and going in. It’s just one of those things.”
Tommy Smith has done very well while Delaney has been out of the side, but the 6ft 3in tall defender says that once he’s fully fit he’ll be looking to win back his place: "I’m waiting for chance and when I get my chance I’m not going to be giving it up. Sometimes you just have to bide your time and wait and wait and then when you get your chance, you make sure you take it.
"That’s the type of competitive spirit that the manager’s after here. That’s why he wants two players for every position. Hopefully, I’ll be breathing down Tommy’s neck and hopefully that will elevate his game again and the team will go on and keep winning games.”