David Ginola is backing Luc Nilis to return from his broken leg horror but fears his Aston Villa team-mate may be facing the end of his career.

Ginola rushed to the Belgian's aid at Portman Road on Saturday when he suffered a fractured tibia in a clash with Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright.

Photographs of the incident show Nilis' lower leg clearly snapped in two in a similar manner to Coventry's David Busst and Celtic's Henrik Larsson before him.

Meanhwile Villa's under-fire chairman Doug Ellis was yesterday unanimously re-elected as a director of Aston Villa plc.