Wednesday 9 February 2011 13:53, UK
Gareth Owen will only be out for around four to six weeks after undergoing a second scan on his injured ankle.
The 28-year-old, who is out-of-contract at Vale Park in the summer, suffered the injury in the first-half of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Wycombe and was initially thought to be set for a lengthy absence after an X-ray indicated he had fractured the ankle. However, it has now been revealed this was an old injury and he has only sustained bone bruising to his ankle joint as well as ankle ligament damage. Owen, who was cautiously optimistic he would receive good news, still could not believe the outcome. He told BBC Sport: "It's unbelievable really, going from the bottom of the pile to the top of the world again."
