Ledley playing through pain

On-field struggles attributed to club's refusal to allow operation

Last updated: 2nd December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Ledley playing through pain

Ledley: Struggling for form

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Out-of-form Cardiff midfielder Joe Ledley has risked the fresh wrath of his club after claiming manager Dave Jones is forcing him to play through the pain barrier.

The relationship between player and club is already thought to be strained as contract talks have hit a brick wall, with the Wales international declining an extension.

However, Ledley, who is a target of Premier League clubs, has risked further dispute with Cardiff after blaming poor form on a hip problem that requires surgery.

Bluebirds chairman Peter Ridsdale recently implied the 22-year-old's head has been turned by transfer talk, but the midfielder insists his on-field struggles are because he has not been allowed to cure an injury.

Ledley told the South Wales Echo: "I'm not playing at 100%. To tell you the truth I need an operation on my hip. I've been told that it will keep me out of the game for at least 10 to 12 weeks.

"The gaffer Dave Jones wants me to play through the injury, but I need an operation as soon as possible. It badly restricts my movement on certain things and it aggravates certain parts of my body.

"Nobody is going to see the best of me until that operation is done and sorted out properly. I'm not using it as an excuse for my form, it's a fact."

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