Lockwood body blow

Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 27 November 2014


ADAM Lockwood’s season is in tatters with the news that he may need knee surgery, keeping him out of action for up to nine months.

Athletic’s captain (33) is to visit a top surgeon in London, with an operation likely to help repair damaged cartilage.

The best-case scenario is that he will be missing for only six weeks, but alternatively his recovery from a microfracture operation could keep him out for at least six months.

Lockwood has been out with a severe foot injury since pre-season training. The centre-back’s contract expires at the end of the season.

“It’s bad news, but we don’t know the full extent yet until he has seen the surgeon,” said Athletic manager Lee Johnson.

Lockwood played for Athletic’s reserves last Monday and was deemed fit enough to take a place on the bench as an unused substitute at Sheffield United — a role he also took up in the FA Cup tie against Leyton Orient earlier in the month.

After the game on Saturday, he felt there wasn’t a problem. But the slight twinge in his knee after the reserves clash — which didn’t stop him training last week — has turned out to be more serious than it was first feared.

Meanwhile, Athletic have completed the loan signing of young Bolton forward Tom Youngs on a deal which runs up until January 5.

The 20-year-old, who came up through the ranks alongside Conor Wilkinson at the Championship club, comes to Athletic with promising reports of his potential.

The Greenwich-born player operates anywhere across the forward line and has a single first-team appearance to his name with Wanderers, as a substitute in a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday late last season.

Wilkinson, meanwhile, could yet return to Athletic before the loan window shuts at 5pm today.

The tall striker was in the crowd at Tuesday’s game with Preston, and with veteran Eidur Gudjohnsen apparently close to getting a deal at the Macron Stadium, could be allowed to head back to Athletic on loan.

But a deal is far from complete and rests with Bolton boss Neil Lennon. Athletic could also let a couple of fringe players, including Jack Truelove, depart on loan.