Port Vale: Boost for Anyon as surgery is ruled out

by Steve Shaw

PORT Vale goalkeeper Joe Anyon has been boosted by the news that his broken leg does not require surgery.

His fractured left tibia will now remain in plaster cast for another month before his consultant re-assesses the injury.

"It's the best possible news at this stage of the recovery process," said Vale boss Dean Glover. "It means there will be no bone pinning or plating and that should speed up the healing process.

"They are pleased with the way the bone has settled and so he will remain in the cast for another four weeks, then we will take things from there."

Anyon, no stranger to fractures after breaking his jaw in the past, suffered a clean leg break during last weekend's defeat at Chesterfield.

"He's gutted obviously by the injury, but he knows it's something that can happen in football," Glover continued.

"He's going to be pulling his hair out with boredom over the next few weeks, but he's pretty sensible when it comes to knowing what he can and can't do.

"He's been there before with the broken jaw and so he knows the implications with injuries like this."

The leg break could hardly have come at a worse time for Anyon as he was in the midst of contract talks with the club's hierarchy.

The 22 year-old goalkeeper is out of contract in the summer, but Glover has said the injury should have no bearing on whether or not he remains at Vale Park.

Meanwhile, the club is holding fire on publicly announcing which youth team players have won professional contracts at Vale Park for next season.

Among those awaiting news are goalkeeper Daniel Lloyd-Weston from Alsager, who appeared on the bench at Exeter on Tuesday, winger Luke Chapman and midfielders Paul Dixon and Danny Edwards.

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