| INJURY RECAP 2004-2005
www.chairboys.co.uk takes a look back on the injury situation for the Wanderers during 2004/5. 
Incredibly before the 2004/5 season had even started in earnest there were a number of injury updates to report.
Sadly Keith Ryan, returning to action for the first time since January 2004, aggrivated an old ankle injury in the opening pre-season friendly at Beaconsfield on 9th July. However, he returned to make a surprise appearance on the opening day of the Football League season on 7th August. The 2004/5 season was 'Rhino's 15th season with The Wanderers.  Craig Faulconbridge won't look back on the 2003/4 season with much pleasure. His long term injury hanging over from the 2002/3 season saw him return to First Team action in November 2003 but he failed to command a regular place in the team under Tony Adams. He was substituted for 'tactical reasons' during the game with Tranmere on 12th April 2004 and did not appear for the First Team or Reserves again that season despite being fit according to sources close to the Club. Meanwhile, Adams went on to suggest that he went to play in Scandinavia during the summer in order to continue his progress. The Wycombe boss said "We haven't seen the best of Craig. He has had a long injury and I think he could benefit from playing in the summer." The idea never came to fruition. The nearest he came to action during pre-season was when he made the half-time draw in the pre-season friendly with Millwall on 31st July. The Club then revealed on Wednesday 4th August 2004 that the player would spend two weeks at Lilleshall in effort to sort out the root problem of an injury with his knee. The mystery continued to thicken.
Danny Senda was another name to pick up an injury during pre-season resulting in him missing the opening pre-season friendly games. The absence came after what the press described as "developing problems with both knees". However, he made reasonable progress returned to action in the friendly with Millwall on Saturday 31st July 2004 where there didn't seem to be any reaction to the injury. He then went on to appear as substitute on the opening day of the Football League season against Cambridge United and was virtualy ever-present for the remainder of the season. First year pro Mark Philo suffered a major set back in the home friendly with Portsmouth on 20th July 2004 when he fractured his ankle in two places following a challenge as he was in the process of shoting at goal. Initial indications were that he would be out for a six month spell and this proved to be the case. The Club sensibly eased him back into action via a number of Reserve Team matches before even thinking of a First Team outing. The former Youth Teamer played his first game since the injury when he came on as substitute in a friendly with Northampton Town on 25th January 2005 and five first team appearances before the end of the season. Frank Talia had a bit of a traumatic summer of 2004. He was rumoured to be returning to play football in Australia but that gossip was put on hold following a domestic accident that could have ended his career. The Aussie 'keeper suffered a nasty toe injury in the summer due to an accident while mowing his lawn. He was lucky to escape serious injury and made a full recovery to join the pre-season games in the middle of July. However, Talia's future at Wycombe still appears uncertain. He didn't seem to be favoured by Tony Adams and although he was recalled to the side in February 2004 he was then ruled out with a hamstring injury picked up in training the following week. The injury meant he missed the remainder of the season, negating any chance he had to impress Adams.
A bit of 'non-injury' news came to light in September 2004 when there confusion surrounding the fitness of Nathan Tyson prior to the game at Cheltenham. Reports in the local press went big on a hamstring problem, suggesting that he had been ruled out by Club Physio Shay Connolly, with Tony Adams adding "Nathan's been quieter than usual and I think it could be something to do with the injury he has picked up. He is not firing on all guns and a fit Nathan Tyson is very dangerous at this level." However, Tyson played a full 90 minutes against Cheltenham and had played every League since up the match at Scunthorpe on Friday 8th October. The Club seemed reluctant to make an official comment.Mike Williamson was missing during the second half of September and early October. The on loan Southampton defender was reported injured after the away game at Southend United on Saturday 11th September. It was eventually revealed as a knee injury, but after two visits to a specialist it was still unclear of the extent of the damage before he was passed fit for the game at Boston on 16th October 2004 and was a regular in the side for the remainder of the season.  It was a fragmented first season with Wycombe for Joe Burnell. He was ruled out of action when he contracted glandular fever in the same week that he had played against his former club Bristol City in the Carling Cup on 24th August 2004. The 23 year old was told to stay away from training to reduce the risk of passing on the fever to other members of the squad before eventually being given the OK to return to action for the game at Boston on Saturday 16th October. He was then absent from the LDV game with Swansea on Tuesday 2nd November. It was reported two days later by the Club that he had twisted his knee in a training ground collision with Gus Uhlenbeek. Details remained vague on the extent of the injury until the news of the visit to a specialist was revealed on Tuesday 7th December. A subsequent report indicated "some tissue that is causing some inflamation near the ankle joint." The former Bristol City midfielder finally returned to action when he started at Swansea City on Saturday 15th January 2005. Fellow midfielder Matt Bloomfield
was also in and out of action during 2004/5. He joined the casualty list when he was injured in the pre-season game with Charlton Athletic on 28th July 2004. He twisted his knee in a collision with team mate Mike Williamson and was forced to hobble off for treatment with the aid of crutches. He saw a specialist on Monday 2nd August for scan and went for surgery on Friday 6th August to investigate the extent of the injury. It was originally believed there was serious ligament damage and bone bruising but surgery eased the worries and he returned to training at the end of September and completed his own 'pre-season training' before making his comeback in the game at Boston on Saturday 16th December. However, he suffered another set-back in January when he pulled a hamstring in a reserve friendly at Oxford United. He returned to play in a reserve team game on 8th February and finished the month pushing again for First Team football. Further midfield injury problems were suffered with the loss of Clint Easton. He was ruled out of action during the home game with Rushden on Tuesday 19th October 2004 when he picked up a nasty cut to his knee that required 25 stitches. He returned to First Team action as a substitute in the game with Southend United on Boxing Day 2004 and progressed to a place in the starting line-up at Shrewsbury on 29th January where he performed at left-back following the return of Tony Craig to Millwall.The bad news for Craig Faulconbridge came after it was announced that had been forced to have an operation on a knee problem that as said to be a form of arthritis. The operation took place towards the end of January 2005 and was reported to have been a success but he will be sidelined for around six months and with his contract up in the summer of 2005, he could well of played his last game in a Wycombe shirt. It's been a torrid time for Faulconbridge in his time with Wycombe. The Faulconbridge injury saga had taken a new twist when Tony Adams suggested that the player may have to give up the game if his knee injury, originally reported as being picked up in training in March 2004, didn't clear up. The Wycombe boss said in the BFP on 17th September 2004 "He's working really hard but if there isn't an improvement then we've got to have a serious conversation about whether he can play again. It's gone beyond rehabilitation if there's no improvement with the work he's been doing." A week later The Faulcon rebuked by saying "There has never been a thought in my mind that I may have to quit. I'm not a quitter. I never have been and I'm not about to start." Adams quit the Club on Tuesday 9th November 2004 while Faulconbridge returned as an unused substitute for the games at Leyton Orient on 20th November and a week later at home to Bristol Rovers. He then returned to the starting line-up for the first time in seven months when Wanderers travelled to Bristol Rovers in the LDV Vans Trophy on Tuesday 30th November. He went on to play throughout December 2004 before the knee problem caught up with him again.Click here to read the injury recap from season 2003/2004 Click here to read all the latest Wycombe news |
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