Mikey Johnston will be out for an extended period after suffering a further injury to his ankle.
Albion’s Director of Medical, Tony Strudwick, has provided an update following an extensive period of assessment.
He explained: “It’s a complex injury. Mikey had an initial fracture to his ankle back in February at Oxford. This healed and enabled us to build him up over pre-season as part of a reduced load.
“He played 45 minutes against both Notts County and Coventry, alongside 25 minutes against Peterborough and then 30 minutes of competitive action against Rotherham.
“But Mikey felt pain in his ankle again and a scan flagged a further injury. We have consulted two of the best ankle specialists in the country and he’s now following a treatment plan which does not involve surgery.
“We will not put a specific timeline on his return but we can say he will be out for an extended period of time.
“All of us are offering our support to Mikey and I’m sure everyone will wish him the best with his recovery. We’ll be with him every step of the way.”
