Thursday Sep 29 2005 11:58
Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner is facing a frustrating spell on the sidelines after being told he needs surgery on the broken nose he suffered in the midweek defeat at
Bolton.
The 23-year-old has been hit by a succession of injuries since joining the club and his bad luck struck again at Bolton, thanks to one of his own team-mates.
Gardner collided with Stephen Kelly as he attempted to clear a cross and finished up with two black eyes and a broken nose.
He also faces the prospect of losing the first-team place he worked so hard to win back after injury problems earlier in the season.
"It was an unfortunate collision but these things happen," Gardner told the club's official website.
"The only thing is that it was a bad time for me because I'd just got back in the team.
"I spoke with the doctor and it's something I've got to get put right. I kept on playing on the night, continued heading the ball and kept going but collisions can happen and I need to make it stronger because I don't want to be apprehensive in games.
"The most frustrating thing is that I was playing and you need to make the most of your chances at the moment.
"There is a lot of pressure, a lot of competition and you want to be playing all the time, hopefully it won't be too long before I'm back out there."
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