Injury blow for Town defender
DEFENDER NEEDS SURGERY ON KNEE LIGAMENT INJURY
HUDDERSFIELD Town defender Tommy Elphick has spoken of his disappointment over needing surgery after suffering knee ligament damage.
The defender was taken out of action in the 18th minute of the 3-1 defeat to Preston by a high and late challenge from Ryan Ledson for which the midfielder only received a yellow card.
Elphick subsequently missed the squad’s trip to Dubai for warmweather training to have a knee scan, which confirmed there is ligament damage.
His expected return date is currently unclear with the surgery on Monday set to reveal how long Elphick is likely to be unavailable. However, in a worst-case scenario, knee ligament injuries have been known to involve lengthy lay-offs lasting over a year.
Elphick retweeted the club’s announcement and commented: “Gutted is an understatement, especially as I had no control over the situation and it was something so reckless. Hopefully Monday goes well.
“Looking forward to another challenge getting back as quick and strong as possible whilst still contributing to the group in the meantime UTT.”
Town manager Danny Cowley said: “Unfortunately, Tommy’s scans revealed that he needs surgery on his knee. Off the back of this, we will have a clear idea on how long he will be out of action for.
“He was a big part of this team both as a player and a character. We will certainly miss his leadership qualities.
“His focus is now on making the quickest recovery possible. He is a resilient and determined person, so I have no doubt he will return fitter and stronger than ever.”