Lundekvam fighting to save career (From This is Hampshire)

Lundekvam fighting to save career

11:41am Thursday 28th February 2008

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Claus Lundekvam's playing career has been thrown into jeopardy after he suffered a devastating injury set-back.

The Saints skipper, who has not played at all this campaign, is definitely out for the rest of the season and is now facing yet more surgery after a recurrence of his long-standing ankle problem.

Lundekvam had seemed to be making a strong recovery from summer surgery and the club hoped he might be able to start playing again by the end of March.

However, he pulled up in training after the ankle gave way yet again and is now waiting to learn the full extent of the damage.

But the 35-year-old, who has made more than 400 appearances for the club, said he no longer wants to push the ankle too hard.

"I was doing a routine running test," he said. "I had done three the previous week without a problem and this one was going OK.

"Then without warning the ankle just collapsed. I was hoping it might just be a release of scar tissue but deep down I knew something was badly wrong.

"It turned out that the tendon has more or less torn off again, which is devastating for me and all the medical staff who have been working so hard to get me fit.

"It is incredible bad luck which has pretty much set me back to square one and it looks as though I will need further surgery.

"We have sought different opinions to see what options we have but they all seem to be saying that is the case.

"There is no chance of playing again this season and I now have to decide where to go from here. The ankle has been through a lot over the years and there has been a lot of wear and tear which is stopping it healing properly and I don't want to push it too far."

Lundekvam, who joined Saints from Brann Bergen for £350,000 in 1996, hurt the ankle in the final league game of last season at home to Southend and enjoyed a strong pre-season before suffering a set-back on the tour of Norway.

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