Injury expert: Townsend may need ‘surgery’ after Everton reveal
Everton star Andros Townsend may require surgical intervention after manager Rafael Benitez revealed the latest about his injury.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Per the Toffees’ media team on Wednesday (15 November), Benitez revealed that Townsend had a “broken bone” and will be sent to see a specialist.
The 30-year-old-winger, who signed as a free agent in the summer, is one of six Everton stars currently out of action.
Dinnery claims that it is impossible to rule out Townsend going under the knife to correct his issue.
“There are so many unknowns with this one,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“We don’t know the exact location of the fracture, or what Benitez classifies as a small fracture.
“We can assume it’s his foot, maybe a problem with his metatarsal. One of the most common of those is the fifth metatarsal, perhaps a Jones fracture.
“He will meet with a specialist to determine what the best course of action may be.
“It might just be non-surgical, such as wearing a protective CAM boot that restricts the movement of the foot.
“Alternatively, we might be looking at some kind of surgical procedure. That will depend on the severity and location of the fracture.
“If he does go for surgery, he could be out for six to eight weeks. If they treat it conservatively, it could be three to four weeks.
“But let’s remember that we don’t know much about this one and that injuries can evolve.”
Townsend had started all of Everton’s league games this term until last night’s (16 December) 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
He has registered three goals and two assists in those appearances, as well as two goals and one assist in the Toffees’ League Cup campaign.
In other news, pundit suggests Everton star Mason Holgate is better suuited to the Championship.