A REGRETFUL Sammy Igoe prepared himself for a surgeon's scolding this morning and the likelihood he must get plastered once again.

The midfielder cut away the protective cast covering his injured left wrist over the weekend to the dismay of Town's medical team.

There is a one in 10 chance that the broken scaphoid bone will not heal as it is and Igoe's actions have been condemned as 'crazy'.

He was heading for hospital this morning to see whether his actions have hampered the healing process or whether nature is successfully doing its job.

An X-ray should show just how long the 28-year-old, who has missed Town's last eight matches, can expect to remain on the sidelines.

The initial prognosis was that he was likely to be out of action for eight to 10 weeks.

Manager Andy King is none too pleased with the player's actions.

And he has made it clear to the midfielder that he does not want him to take medical matters into his own hands again.

Frustration drove him to it but Igoe now admits it was a rash decision.

He said: "I am just desperate to play.

"It was something I'd threatened to do and I hoped it would be okay.

"Unfortunately, the pain I felt after taking it off told me that the injury hadn't healed."

Having ignored all the medical advice by removing the cast he was forced to sign a disclaimer before taking part in training Igoe is now reluctantly prepared to give in.

He said: "I have been told I am 'crazy' by the medical people, and while I hope the surgeon today will tell me the injury is starting to heal, I will probably have to accept another cast."

Igoe was pulled aside by boss King yesterday after training, who made his feelings quite clear.

He said: "The gaffer told me I'd been silly as if I came back and injured myself before the bone had properly healed then I would be facing even longer out. Obviously, that's not what either of us wants.

"Having said that, he said he would wait and see what the surgeon said before deciding where we go from here.

"I have to respect his wishes at the end of the day."

Town's reserves face Bristol City in a derby clash at the County Ground this afternoon.

The Pontins Holiday Combination encounter kicks off at 2pm.