Blackpool defender Baptiste suffers injury blow

23 September 2010 16:30

Blackpool defender Alex Baptiste faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a recurrence of an old knee injury.

The 24-year-old experienced swelling after last weekend's Barclays Premier League loss to Chelsea and a scan on the joint has proved inconclusive. Baptiste will now need exploratory surgery to assess the extent of the damage and the problem comes just weeks after the same player fractured a hand.

Manager Ian Holloway said: "It is a shame for him, I think he is on the crest of a slump. He has had a bad hand because DJ (Campbell) smashed the ball at him - that was painful enough - and now he has had a recurrence of a knee injury he has had for years."

Holloway continued: "He didn't feel it in the game but all of a sudden his knee has swollen up.

"Hopefully the worst it will be will be four to six weeks, but it could be something else.

"He has definitely got meniscus trouble and they won't tell completely until they've been in there.

"He had a problem there when he was 16 so we can't tell from the scan."

The injury is likely to keep Baptiste out of games against Liverpool and Manchester City in the coming weeks but Holloway hopes he is not too downbeat.

Holloway said: "He is a lucky young man, there are a lot of things a lot worse than that.

"I can assure you a knee injury will be fixed. It might take a few weeks, or four to six weeks, but keep your chin up, you lucky individual."

Source: PA