Jordon Forster has breathed a sigh of relief after learning he has not broken his jaw – but the Plymouth defender admits he still faces up to six weeks on the sidelines following a horrific head injury.
The on loan Hibs player was rushed to hospital after crashing into an advertising board during Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Barnet.
It was immediately feared that the 22-year-old had suffered a broken jaw in an incident that was described as ‘sickening’ by Pilgrims boss Derek Adams.
But after being kept in overnight in a London hospital, Forster admits he is still hopeful of playing his part in Plymouth’s League Two promotion push.
Speaking to Capital City Press, he said: “I’ve had x-rays and CT scans carried out and thankfully there is no break with the jaw.
“There is extensive bruising around the jaw and the doctors said there is also slight bruising around the brain.
“It’s obviously something you have to be careful with but I should hopefully be back playing within four to six weeks.
“The doctor said that if I was to come back too early and get another knock then it could lead to serious consequences, so I need to take my time with it.”
Forster, who was making his fifth appearance for Adams’ side since joining in January, added: “I was basically trying to keep the ball in and in hindsight I probably shouldn’t have bothered.
“I fell into the advertising board and my face took the full impact.
“But there is no break in the jaw as initially that is what everyone thought. If it had been broken then that would have been the season over.”
Forster’s Hibs team-mate are arguably feeling worse right now after a third successive Championship loss at Queen of the South on Tuesday all but gifted the title to Rangers.
A 14 point gap at the summit means the play-offs are now the most realistic route back to the top-flight but Forster is confident that their season can still end on a high.
He added: “I’ve spoken to a few of the boys and the last results have been poor, I don’t think they’ll shy away from that.
“But I’ve been told the performances have not been the worst.
“And if you look at the situation the club is in at the moment under the manager (Alan Stubbs), first place might be out of the picture but they’re still in a League Cup final and are in the Scottish Cup also.
“I still think there is more than enough quality in there to get back into the Premiership.
“There’s a lot of experienced lads in that dressing room who can help them get through this, guys like David Gray, Fonts (Liam Fontaine) and Lewis Stevenson.”
