Ian Westlake's ankle injury will not require an operation as previously feared. However, the midfielder is not expected to return to action until next season.

Westlake told the club site: "I was pretty down on Monday and expected to be told that I would need surgery and would be out for three months at least.

"That would have meant a long, hard summer trying to build the ankle up to get ready for next season.

"The scans showed the ankle is just badly sprained though. There is no major damage to the ligaments and I don't need an operation.

"It's a massive relief. After expecting to be out for months, it now looks as though I've got to rest it for a few weeks and then return to training.

"There is only a month left of the season though, so it's still very unlikely I will be back before the end of April. Even if the ankle is fixed by then, I would still have to get match fit."

Photo: Action Images

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