Carlisle United fear Callum Guy has sustained a “serious” knee injury even though it has been confirmed the midfielder did not suffer a fracture.
Manager Paul Simpson said it was too early to know the extent of the problem which saw Guy stretchered off at Leyton Orient.
The signs, though, do not look good for the 26-year-old, who went down in agony in the 14th minute as he turned on the pitch in the FA Cup first round defeat.
Guy received lengthy treatment before being taken to hospital in London.
Simpson later said further assessment will be needed to establish the seriousness of the injury.
“We don’t know what it is at the moment,” said Simpson after the game. “He’s been to hospital and they were concerned that there might be a fracture, but we’ve just heard now that he’s on his way back and it’s not a fracture.
“We think there’s some serious damage to his knee but it would be wrong of me to start guessing what it is.
“At this moment in time we don’t think it’s very good news so we’re just going to have to wait and see.”
Guy was battling for the ball with Orient striker Joe Pigott but, as they both changed direction, the Carlisle man went down an immediately indicated he was in serious pain.
He received treatment from both physios and a number of medical staff on the pitch before being stretchered off.
The former Derby County and Blackpool man, after his hospital visit, was due to travel back with his team-mates on the team coach after the game, Simpson said.
“We needed to check for a fracture because, travelling back on the coach, there’s a real risk of a DVT [deep-vein thrombosis] if he has got a fracture,” added United's manager.
“We needed to clarify that. That’s come back that there is no fracture.
“It doesn’t look particularly good but I’m not going to try and say what we think it might be until we get it assessed next week, we get him scanned, we get him back home where I’m sure he’ll want to be, and hopefully the news isn’t as bad as it could be.”
Guy has been a regular starter for United this season and a long-term lay-off will be a serious blow to the Blues.
Simpson added: “It’s a case of everybody digging deep and looking after him, and somebody else coming in and doing a job for us.”
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