Zimbabwe international defender Brendan Galloway is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury in Plymouth Argyle’s 3-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers at Home Park on Tuesday.
Galloway dislocated a kneecap in a freak accident when he slipped to the ground after attempting a shot on goal shortly after the half-hour mark.
It was immediately obvious the 25-year-old was in a lot of pain as he lay on the ground before medical attention could get to him.
There was a lengthy delay to the game as Galloway was assessed before he was strapped onto a stretcher and carried off the pitch, with Macaulay Gillesphey sent on to replace him.
Galloway signed for Argyle during pre-season on a short-term contract until January after an injury-hit two years at Luton Town, during which he had a long-term knee problem.
This latest injury is to the other knee and Lowe explained that no medial ligament or anterior cruciate ligament damage had been detected.
Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe said he is waiting for the full verdict on the serious knee injury.
Lowe said: “He’s dislocated his kneecap, that’s what we are getting back. They have put it back in and there is a little bit of swelling on it.
“I don’t think there are any (Medial Collateral Ligament) MCL or (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) ACL injuries, which are the big ones. That was a bit of a worry. When they said it was a dislocated kneecap I was as pleased as I could be.
“I don’t know how long they last, or how long it takes, but dislocating your kneecap it can just go back in. We will see how he is over the next day or so and then we will take it from there.”
Lowe continued: “I’m gutted for him, but he will be looked after, there is no doubt about it, and I don’t know how serious it is, to be honest.
“I’m told if you dislocate your kneecap it just goes back in and there is a bit of swelling around it. We will have to wait and see what the scans and say.
“I’m just pleased that it’s no MCL or ACL, or anything like that, and it’s the opposite knee anyway.”
Galloway had been recalled to Argyle’s starting line-up against Wycombe after being an unused substitute in the 2-0 league defeat at Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
The defender had missed the previous two matches because he was on international duty with Zimbabwe.
He had been expected to be part of the Warriors’ squad for the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon in January but now his knee injury could put that in jeopardy.