CITY defender Michael Nelson potentially faces around another month on the sidelines as scan results on his injured ankle have shown worse ligament damage then previously thought.
Nelson picked up the injury in last week's 2-1 defeat at MK Dons - and the former Hartlepool defender is still not sure how the injury actually happened.
"I'm not entirely sure," he said. "The way I explained it to the physio and the consultant was there was no twist to it. It was just the pressure of the foot going down when I planted it.
"So it was a bit of strange one but hopefully there's not too much damage and it'll heal pretty quickly.
He continued: "I got it scanned straight after the game and they thought it showed up a slight tear in one of my ligaments, but the physios were a bit concerned so we got it scanned again and it's come back just a little bit worse than we first thought.
The 29-year-old was sporting a plastic boot to protect his left ankle as he met young fans at the SoccerPM! Reserves at Carrow Road yesterday evening. "I've got a nice big air cast on it for the next seven to 10 days and it's just a case of seeing how well it settles.
"To be honest, before I got the results of my scan I went in this morning and did a little bit of light training and it's probably the best it's felt since I did it. So it's healed a bit by itself and now I've got this on it's probably going to speed it up."
Nelson added he was optimistic for his recuperation time, having recovered well from previous injury setbacks: "I've been quite lucky, touch wood, and with the injuries I have had I've always come back quicker than the predicted time. I've tended to heal pretty quick.
"But every injury is different, so it'll be a case of getting the boot off and seeing the state of the ankle then."
Although pleased with his team-mates' comeback against the Addicks last weekend Nelson admits he's not a good spectator: "You always want to be out there and involved. There's nothing you can do sitting and watching. Even if you're on the bench you've got a chance of coming on and making an impact, but when you're in the stands and you are not training with the lads, you feel a little bit out of it.
"The lads went 2-0 down on Saturday and it would've been quite easy to just fold off the back of the MK Dons defeat. But they showed the character and strength they've got. The lads don't give up, they go right to the end and if we're going to be successful, that is what we're going to need."
Having got himself back into City's starting line-up the timing of his injury is one of frustration for the defender: "It is frustrating. I was starting to get settled in with the other three lads at the back. I thought we were starting to build quite a solid foundation and keeping clean sheets. I was starting to enjoy it, getting in and playing regular.
"Obviously this is a bit of a setback but it's just a case of making sure I maintain my fitness so that when I do get chucked back into training I'm not behind the rest of the lads, so I can just come back in and if I do get back in the side, I can keep my place and kick on again."
