Winger Davies’s season hangs in the balance

Oct 2 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

THE results of a scan on the knee injury sustained by Steve Davies could have a significant impact on the rest of the season for Tranmere.

Rovers officials hope the 19-year-old winger suffered nothing more serious than cartilage damage when he fell awkwardly during the 2-2 draw with Northampton last Saturday.

But manager Ronnie Moore admits to concern that Davies sustained a cruciate ligament injury.

And that could bring a season bursting with promise to a premature end for the home-produced youngster from South Liverpool, who would face long months in recovery.

Davies is due to undergo the scan this afternoon, a few hours before Tranmere return to League One action with a game against Crewe Alexandra at Prenton Park tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).

Moore said: “We hope it is only a cartilage injury but there is concern it could be the cruciate ligament that is damaged.

“If it is the cruciate then that is the season over for him, which it would be frustrating because Davo has been a shining light for us.

“If it is the cartilage he could be back in three weeks.”

Davies has more than 60 senior appearances under his belt after two seasons on the first-team scene. But his game developed an extra dimension over recent months and he played a significant role in helping Rovers make a strong start to the League One campaign.

The youngster’s form attracted the interest of a number of larger clubs, including Leeds United, who made more than one firm offer to Rovers before the close of the August transfer window.

Tranmere have been negotiating with the player and his advisers to extend a current contract that runs out at the end of the season.

Davies fell awkwardly in the 17th minute of the Northampton game and signalled immediately for the attention of physio Les Parry.

Moore said: “You could see something was wrong straight away. The player knows when it feels like something is bad.

“There is hardly any swelling but a lot of movement in the knee. That suggests to the medical people it could be the cruciate.

“We will just have to wait and see and keep our fingers crossed for him.”

Goalkeeper Danny Coyne will be missing from the action against Crewe with a calf injury that is responding only slowly to treatment. Goalkeeping coach John Achterberg will deputise for a third time.

Local-born prospect Mike Jones hopes for a first league start after playing for more than 70 minutes against Northampton as Davies’ replacement.

It was the 20-year-old Jones’s first taste of League One football, although he made more than a dozen appearances for Shrewsbury during a loan spell at the Gay Meadow towards the end of last season.

Moore looks forward to a refreshing change in approach from the opposition tonight.

Crewe’s positive passing game should provide a contrast to the tactical caution of the majority of the season’s visitors to Prenton Park.

Moore said: “Northampton came with a game plan to make it difficult for us and we fell straight into their hands by giving away two goals.

“Crewe will be a different ball game. They will come and pass it, they’ll be neat and tidy, keep the ball on the floor and have a go at us.

“I would imagine that for the neutral it will be an entertaining game, an open game, which is unusual now because of the way teams play when they come here,” he added.

Crewe passed a greater weight of first-team coaching responsibilities onto Steve Holland this season with a long serving Dario Gradi moving aside to a technical director’s role.

Holland’s immediate task is to lift his players after they surrendered two-goal lead in a 3-2 defeat at Oldham last weekend.