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Whitlow blow

MIKE Whitlow will miss at least six of the remaining 13 fixtures that will determine Wanderers' Premiership fate after being sidelined by a training ground accident.

The vastly experienced and influential defender has been ruled out for six to eight weeks after damaging the medial ligament in his knee when he fell awkwardly during a private friendly against Crewe on Wednesday.

The incident - no other player was involved - has left Wanderers short-handed in the centre-back department, prompting Sam Allardyce to put local teenagers Nicky Hunt and Danny Livesey on Premiership standby and hoping he does not live to regret being unable to add to is defensive ranks during the transfer window.

"Anthony Barness and Simon Charlton have both played at centre-back," the manager said, highlighting the versatile nature of two of his senior defenders, "but a defender was one I would have liked to have brought in. Financially I couldn't do it."

The ligament injury is the latest cruel blow for Whitlow, who was an ever-present until he picked up a niggling injury at Birmingham on November 2 and has since been restricted to just three Premiership starts.

"Mike jumped for a header and landed awkwardly," Allardyce added. "We didn't think much of it at the time but checks later showed that he'd damaged the ligament."

MIKE Whitlow will miss at least six of the remaining 13 fixtures that will determine Wanderers' Premiership fate after being sidelined by a training ground accident.

The vastly experienced and influential defender has been ruled out for six to eight weeks after damaging the medial ligament in his knee when he fell awkwardly during a private friendly against Crewe on Wednesday.

The incident - no other player was involved - has left Wanderers short-handed in the centre-back department, prompting Sam Allardyce to put local teenagers Nicky Hunt and Danny Livesey on Premiership standby and hoping he does not live to regret being unable to add to his defensive ranks during the transfer window.

"Anthony Barness and Simon Charlton have both played at centre-back," the manager said, highlighting the versatile nature of two of his senior defenders, "but a defender was one I would have liked to have brought in. Financially I couldn't do it."

The ligament injury is the latest cruel blow for Whitlow, who was an ever-present until he picked up a niggling injury at Birmingham on November 2 and has since been restricted to just three Premiership starts.

"Mike jumped for a header and landed awkwardly," Allardyce added. "We didn't think much of it at the time but checks later showed that he'd damaged the ligament."