Hazell facing lengthy lay-off

Shrewsbury fear Reuben Hazell will be out for a "considerable time" after the defender underwent a scan on his injured knee.

Hazell limped off in stoppage time during Town's 2-0 victory over Torquay on Saturday following a challenge from Rene Howe that earned the Gulls' joint-leading scorer a second yellow card.

An x-ray has been unable to determine the full extent of the damage but the club are bracing themselves for bad news. A statement on Shrewsbury's official website said: "Since Saturday there has been concern for Reuben as his knee has swelled up and he has been in pain since the challenge."

The statement continued: "He has been receiving treatment and has had a scan.

"Results from the initial scan suggest there is some damage but due to the swelling in the knee the full extent of the damage cannot be determined yet.

"Therefore, Reuben is scheduled to see a specialist as soon as the swelling goes down but the early signs are that he will be out of action for a considerable time."

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved.