Shrewsbury Town's David Davis ruled out for season with ankle injury
Shrewsbury Town have been dealt a hefty blow after midfielder David Davis was ruled out for the remainder of the season through injury.
Experienced Davis, 31, hobbled off after 20 minutes in Tuesday’s 2-1 home defeat against Portsmouth at Montgomery Waters Meadow.
And the outcome confirmed by boss Steve Cotterill today is Davis has damaged his ankle ligaments and is unlikely to feature again before the end of the campaign in May.
The news comes as a bitter blow for Shrewsbury and the midfielder, who has been in excellent form since he returned from suspension in December.
Former Birmingham man Davis, who is a regular in Town’s defensive midfield role in front of the backline, will see a specialist in London next Tuesday to confirm the exact diagnoses and set out a rehabilitation programme.
Cotterill said: "It's not very good news, he probably won't play again this season.
"That's a bit of a blow for us, he's had a scan and will be in London next Tuesday to see a specialist so we won't know what's going to happen until he sees a specialist.
"When we haven't got a player we'll have to move on and focus on the ones we have got.
"He'll get plenty of love, care and attention now by the physios, sports scientists and specialists, he'll get the proper treatment we'll give any of our injured players.
"I did fear it at the time, because of the way he went down, he was just in front of me, he went up for that header and landed.
"There's probably about nine weeks left of the season, so when that happens you probably think 'I'm not sure he's going to get back for that, even if it ends up being a very, very bad sprain.
"I pretty much knew once he'd gone down and the way he'd gone down that doesn't bode well."
Davis went down in an innocuous incident in front of the dugout early on against Pompey, where his ankle appeared to buckle beneath him and the midfielder was in significant pain.
He could not place weight on his right foot while being helped from the pitch.
The first fixture Davis is ruled out of is Saturday’s trip to mid-table Burton Albion, as Cotterill’s 18th-placed Town look to address a concerning run of eight League One matches without a win.
He is joined on the unavailability list by fellow midfielder Josh Vela, who begins a three-match suspension after his straight red card in midweek.
Shrewsbury’s problems in that position are likely to mean Nottingham Forest loan youngster Tyrese Fornah continues in the middle of the park and right wing-back Elliott Bennett shuffles into midfield.
Cotterill added that unavailability for some could open the door for other squad options. With the experienced and versatile Bennett now possibly required elsewhere, Northern Irishman Josh Daniels could be in line to feature at wing-back.
He said: "He has (Davis been in good form), not that that gives us anything now, but he has had a good run of form, he's played very well in there.
"But when someone's out the team it always gives an opportunity to somebody else."
