DAVID BUSST will face at least a year out of football before he can begin the battle to rebuild his career in the wake of the Old Trafford incident that saw his right leg shattered.
The Coventry defender underwent an initial operation last night at Hope Hospital, Salford, on the horrific injury that halted yesterday's Premiership match against Manchester United for nine minutes.
Raymond Ross, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Hope Hospital, was optimistic Busst would make a full recovery but warned that progress would be slow.
"I would say it will take a minimum of three months for the fracture to heal and it could be six, he said. "I don't think he will be back in football before 12 months."
Ross has consulted the Highfield Road club's surgeon, John Aldridge, about Busst and it has been agreed that he will stay in Hope Hospital, where a nail will be inserted in the bone early next week.
"He has been under observation and the leg is looking good," added Ross. "He will go back to theatre tomorrow for further inspection.
"Although it is a serious injury, I am optimistic the fracture will heal spontaneously. However, it would be a slow recovery," he said.
The severity of the injury shocked players from both sides as Busst lay screaming in pain after colliding with United's Denis Irwin.
A shattered bone protruded through Busst's sock, blood had to be cleared from the goalmouth before play could resume and many players were still too upset to discuss the incident after the match, which United won 1-0.
Although the medical opinion was optimistic, Busst will face a struggle to re-establish himself as a top flight player. Even if he maintains his recovery schedule, he will be approaching his 30th birthday when ready to return a year from now.
United players will visit Busst as he attempts to recover from what Old Trafford manager Alex Ferguson described as the worst injury he had ever seen in a match.
Ferguson said: "It's terrible and I felt so sad for the boy. Some of the players are going up to see him.
"It's a terrible blow for him and we are monitoring the whole situation and have let Coventry know how things are."
Skipper Steve Bruce added: "It was a shocking accident and all the lads at Old Trafford wish him a speedy recovery.
"It is something you hate to see happen to a fellow pro and we're all deeply saddened we hope that he gets back soon.
"We will all do our best to try to pop in and see what we can do for him while he is in hospital."
The Highfield Road switchboard struggled to cope yesterday as calls poured in with good wishes for Busst's recovery.
