Bachmann facing months out so new Roberts loan may be shelved
Goalkeeper Dan Bachmann faces a number of months out of action due to the ankle ligament injury he sustained at the end of Saturday’s defeat to Sheffield United at Vicarage Road.
And that means plans to send fellow keeper Myles Roberts out on a new loan, after his successful spell at Partick Thistle was ended at the weekend, may now be shelved.
Austrian international Bachmann was stretchered off at the end of the game and, while the initial prognosis that he had not dislocated his ankle or ruptured his Achilles’ tendon weas correct, he still faces a long spell on the sidelines.
“It’s a significant injury for Dan, unfortunately,” head coach Tom Cleverley said to the club’s official website.
“It’s not as serious as we might have first feared, but whichever way we choose to rehabilitate him we’re talking two or three months and not weeks.
“Dan felt at the time that something had cracked or popped, and you can see why he’d have had those sensations at the time.
“The ligament he’s damaged is a significant one for the structure of the ankle.”
The club’s medical team will assess the injury further before deciding upon the best course of action for his recovery.
“We can either go down a route involving surgery or set out a plan for more conservative rehab,” said Cleverley.
“One is a slightly longer rehabilitation period than the other. The important thing now is to make the right decision for Dan’s long-term fitness, and we’ll do that over the next few days.”
Bachmann would have sat out Thursday’s FA Cup tie at Fulham anyway, but now he is going to be missing for months, it means the Hornets are a keeper light.
“Jonathan Bond will come in, of course – and he would have played in Thursday’s cup tie anyway,” said Cleverley.
“Myles Roberts has just come back from Partick Thistle, but although we had another loan experience ready for him we’ll have to re-assess for now on that one.
“Alfie Marriott has got a toe issue which needs surgery. Although it’s not ideal, we can put that off for a while, just to see this period through.
“This next week or so will give us a chance to have a good look at Myles to see where he’s at after what’s been a positive experience for him.”
