Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Michael Kightly could be out for the rest of the season after suffering a suspected broken foot during a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Compton training ground yesterday.
The England Under-21 player is facing heartache in Wolves’ end-of-season promotion run-in and may now miss the European Under-21 Championship finals in Malmo, Sweden with his country if the injury is as severe as feared.
The former Grays Athletic star, who was left out of Stuart Pearce’s young England side who took on France at the City Ground last night, was carried off 39 minutes into the friendly with Shrewsbury Town in agony.
He had just set up Wolves’ first goal when he collapsed and was taken first to the club’s medical room and then, it is believed, to hospital for an X-ray on the damage.
The injury was being further assessed last night with Molineux officials holding their breath in the hope that it will not be too serious.
A club official confirmed the player, this week named in the Coca-Cola Championship’s top three players of the season and the winger with the most assists in the league, could now be a doubt for the remaining six games of the campaign.
The blow to Kightly spoiled what had been a good day at the office for Wolves yesterday as those first team players not away on international duty ran out 4-1 winners over Shrewsbury with two goals from Kyel Reid and one apiece from Marlon Harewood and George Friend.
