Lowe fears Curtis will be targeted if he rushes return
Winger reckons some have underestimated finger injury
JAMAL LOWE fears Ronan Curtis could be targeted by opponents should he launch a premature injury return.
And the winger believes some supporters ‘underestimate’ the seriousness of playing football with severe finger damage.
Curtis is battling to declare himself available for the Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley on March 31.
The Irishman chopped the top off a finger on his left hand after trapping it in a door at his Old Portsmouth home last week.
According to the surgeon who operated on Curtis, his footballing absence will span four to six weeks.
Lowe said: ‘Ronan’s finger is in a bad way but he wants to play.
‘If you know him, you’ll know he wants to play, he’s not the type of person who cannot be bothered to play.
‘People underestimate how bad the finger is but if anyone touches him he’ll be in agony.
‘You can’t hold anyone, can't take a throw-in, the ball could hit you there, there are so many factors.
‘You use your arms quite a bit to shield the ball, even running will probably hurt when swinging his arms. off ‘Ronan’s the type of player who gets a lot of tackles on him, putting your hands down to stop your fall will be a problem, people could even step on your finger again. It’s a dangerous one. ‘Of course opponents Ronan Curtis’ surgeon said he should be sidelined for up to six weeks would target it, it has been done.
‘You see someone with a strap on their wrist, padding on their ankle from the previous week which you know they hurt, people do silly stuff like that, it happens.
‘Even with Matt Clarke, he will probably get targeted for having a headband.
‘Give him a little whack, it starts bleeding again and we’re down to 10 for a while.
‘People think of doing stuff like this, it's not unheard of, you could even imagine someone squeezing his finger.’
Curtis has so far been sidelined from successive Pompey victories against Walsall and Scunthorpe.
He has also pulled out of the Republic of Ireland squad for upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
Wembley appears a tough ask – but Lowe knows his team-mate will not give up.
He added: ‘I wouldn’t rule Ronan out.
‘It’s awful timing but being the sort of person he is, if there’s any chance he will take that.’