Conway Only The First Injury Victim?

(Written by Tactful Sheik)

It is around this time of the season that injuries and suspensions start to mount up and players start dropping out of the 1st team like flies.

Last season, it was about this time that Dundee United lost the services of player-manager Craig Brewster(broken foot), Jim McIntyre(slipped disc), Paul Ritchie(haematoma) and Charlie Mulgrew(knee) all due to injury and defender David McCracken through suspension.

This seasons injury list is far shorter, but it now looks like Craig Levein’s injury problems are mounting – with the news that Craig Conway is out until next season with a fractured metatarsal.

It’s the same injury that hit the headlines when England International David Beckham suffered it ahead of the World Cup, but that will be little consolation to Conway after finding out his season is over.

The 22-year-old midfielder has been in inspired form since his arrival from Ayr United in the summer and will be a big loss to Dundee United in the closing stages of the campaign.

Conway will find out over the seriousness of the injury today, when he could be told that it will require surgery to pin the bone back together – ouch!

“You are talking six or seven weeks minimum with this kind of injury and that’s just to get to the point where he can start training again,” said Levein yesterday.

“After that, it would take another two to three weeks to get him ready for games and that is assuming there are no setbacks. Realistically, that means his season is over.”

“It is a blow to him because he has been having a good season, particularly when you consider this is his first year of full-time football.”

“It’s a setback, but I expect him to return from it a better player for us next season because he is used to playing at this level now.”

Steven Robb could return to the side after the source of his recent injury problems was diagnosed as a pelvic tilt, but will likely only be on the bench for the weekend trip to Inverness.

“You’ll see Steven Robb on the bench, but I’d say he is two or three weeks away from being in a position where he can start games and, for this Saturday and beyond, I am going to have a decision to make,” said Levein.

“It would be no problem for Barry to go out wide, but he is a big player for us in the middle and moving him is not something I really want to do.”