Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley says that Mark Fish's reported retirement is a mystery to the London club. Earlier this week the Town loanee was widely reported to have decided to hang up his boots due to a knee injury.

However, Curbishley says that as far as he's aware this isn't the case: "We're at a loss really because we have not announced it.

"We understand it came from an Ipswich website somewhere. Mark Fish hasn't said anything to anybody. We know that he has been consulting specialists and other people about his future but as far as I am aware no one has come to a decision."

TWTD first saw the story appear on the BBC's website late on Tuesday afternoon and it quickly spread to other sites and newspapers.

Fish had made his Town debut a week previously at QPR, looking a shadow of his former self as the Blues conceded two first half goals prior to the central defender being replaced at half-time. Later that week the 31-year-old returned to the Valley to work on his fitness.

Curbishley concedes that the 62-time South Africa international's short-lived loan with the Blues was a mistake: "Obviously Mark hasn't had the best of times recently. He only played a handful of games last year and he missed a large chunk of pre-season.

"Perhaps the loan to Ipswich was ill-advised because he wasn't ready; he wasn't physically fit enough. That was explained to Ipswich but they needed someone there and then and Fishy was prepared to do it.

"We'll have to wait and see what the next couple of days bring, but obviously he is considering his options at the moment."

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