IPSWICH Town defender Damien Delaney has been reassured that there will be no lasting damage after surgeons successfully dealt with his career threatening injury.

The 29-year-old, who suffered a blood clot following an innocent whack on the leg in training last Thursday, is currently unable to walk 10 yards without aid.

He has praised Town physios Matt Byard and Mark Endacott and Dr Lewis (the club doctor) plus the surgeons at the hospital calling them ‘top class.’

Delaney expects to be back playing again in three months, but he admits he is going into the unknown.

“I lost a lot of blood and it leaves you feeling so weak,” he said.

“I can walk about 10 yards at the moment and then I feel exhausted!

“There’s no real guide to follow when it comes to recovery.

“It’s not like I’ve done a hamstring and know I’m going to be out for three or four weeks.

“At the moment all I can do is rest and let my body catch up.

“The surgeon assured me that as they had operated within a few hours of the problem, there should be nothing to worry about in relation to a reaction or any further trouble with the leg.

“I can’t thank the medical people, all of them, enough. There’s been talk that my career could have been over so I’ve got a lot to thank them for. They were top class.”

Now resting at home after undergoing two operations, Delaney talked about how the injury occurred.

“I had a run-of-the-mill collision in training and suffered a dead leg. I put an ice bag on it as I normally would and did some work in the gym but it got worse pretty quickly. The leg just felt dead.

“I hobbled back into the medical room and took the ice bag off and my thigh had ballooned up. The pain was incredible. I have never felt anything like it.

“Dr Lewis was called and within a few minutes I was on my way to hospital.

“The surgeon said they needed to open up my leg straight away to ease the pressure and the whole thing was a nightmare to be honest.”

A Tottenham spokesman has declined to comment on their reported interest in 17-year-old Wickham saying: “It is club policy not to comment on transfer speculation.”

Mike Pejic, who has joined the Town coaching staff with a view to helping to develop young talent alongside academy manager Sammy Morgan, has signed a two-year Ipswich contract.

Former Town academy manager Bryan Klug’s official title at Tottenham is head of player development Under-9’s to 16’s/assistant academy manager.

He has replaced Chris Ramsey, who has moved into the role of assistant technical co-ordinator.

Tamas Priskin’s former boss at Watford Brendan Rodgers is now manager of Swansea City and he has been linked with showing interest in the Hungarian international striker who cost Town �1.7million from Vicarage Road last autumn.