Karl Duguid is beginning his latest fightback to full fitness following make-or-break surgery in a London clinic last night.
Injury-plagued Colchester United captain Karl Duguid
The injury-plagued Colchester United captain (pictured), who has now undergone three operations and a specialised injection on an injured knee since March, is expected to remain out of action until the New Year.
And, speaking from his hospital bed, the 26-year-old U's favourite promptly warned acting skipper Wayne Brown - one of the first to wish him well - to beware of the 'curse of the captain's armband' which has brought ill fortune to him and a number of his predecessors.
Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Warren, Gavin Johnson, Bobby Bowry and Alan White all suffered in the past two seasons with aggravating injuries or the wretched misfortune of being sent-off after being handed the armband.
"Brownie had better beware," said Duguid. "That armband is a poison chalice.
"The curse always used to be the number 11 shirt, where any player who wore it never seemed to get past half-a-dozen games.
"Now anyone who is named captain seems to get struck down, but all being well I'll be back in three months time to have the skipper's armband back off Brownie."
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Published Tuesday, September 14, 2004
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