AFC Wimbledon vs Walsall - Wimbledon without Barry Fuller for rest of season

Posted Friday, February 24, 2017 by PA

AFC Wimbledon have suffered an injury setback ahead of their Sky Bet League One game against Walsall.

Captain Barry Fuller will miss the rest of the season due to an injury on his pectoral muscle, much longer than the initial six weeks lay-off the club were expecting.

Fuller has been unavailable for selection since the draw against Charlton earlier in February and manager Neal Ardley has confirmed that he will require an operation.

Ardley has no new injury concerns, but Jon Meades, Dean Parrett (both ankle) and Chris Whelpdale remain unavailable.

Walsall midfielder Florent Cuvelier has been ruled out until April with a calf injury.

The Belgian limped out of the goalless draw at Scunthorpe on February 14 and missed last Saturday's win over Peterborough, with scans showing a grade two muscle strain which is expected to take between four and six weeks of recovery.

Midfielder Isaiah Osbourne is expected to be available to face the Dons after he came off for the closing stages against Posh as a precaution over a knee problem, so George Dobson is on stand-by to start.

Reece Flanagan is building up his fitness again following a dislocated shoulder, the midfielder having only just recovered from a serious knee injury which has kept him out for the whole of the season.