Curtis Davies out for the rest of the season

By Jemma Tappenden
March 16 2007

The highly rated West Bromwich Albion defender Curtis Davies will miss the last eight games of the season after breaking his left foot....all this on the day he learned he would be the first to play at the new Wembley.

On top of 3 consecutive league defeats, the Baggies this week have had to come to terms with the loss of young defender Curtis Davies. Davies will miss the rest of the season for Albion after breaking his left foot during Wednesday nights clash with Crystal Palace at the Hawthorns. But Davies will also miss the opportunity to play in the first ever game at the new Wembley Stadium, after receiving the call up for the England Under-21 squad. Davies received the good news just hours before the gamed with Palace kicked off.

Davies is expected to undergo surgery early next week after seeing a consultant. The fracture which he sustained to the fifth metatarsal is expected to sideline the defender for up to ten weeks. The injury occurred in the build up to Clinton Morrison’s 35th minute equaliser for Palace, although Davies admits his recollection of the event is a little hazy. The defender is unsure how exactly he was thrown off balance, but what he does know is that his foot became caught awkwardly in the turf, resulting in a twisted fall.

The injury is an exact repeat of that suffered by him in August at Sunderland. But the biggest disappointment for Davies is most likely to be missing the chance to help his team mates win promotion. After 3 league defeats the Baggies will be looking for a return to winning ways against top of the table Birmingham City at the Hawthorns on Sunday (11.30 ko). Davies will be sorely missed, and with his replacement on Wednesday receiving a red card later in the game, Mowbray is likely to need to look into the loans market to make sure his defence is covered for the remaining 8 games of the season.

So Curtis Davies will be watching the end of this season unfold from the stands…as he says himself: “If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry, so you just have to keep plodding on”.