Sam Parkin is facing the agonising prospect of up to four months on the sidelines.

The Ipswich Town striker had scans yesterday which revealed he has broken an ankle.

Parkin had limped off the pitch in the early stages of Tuesday's 3-0 Coca-Cola Championship defeat by Reading.

And he admitted he was 'gutted' to be facing such a long spell on the treatment table.

He said: "I'm sick about it. I knew I'd done something as soon as it happened but I wasn't sure what the extent of the damage was.

"I'm not entirely sure how it happened, either. I was caught by their centre-half and then got my studs stuck in the pitch as I turned. Maybe it was a combination of both.

"I knew I had to come off and left the ground on crutches. But it was murder when I went to bed and the ankle really swelled up overnight."

Parkin, 24, is still waiting to find out whether he needs surgery.

More in today's Evening Gazette

Published Thursday, November 24, 2005

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette