Euell injury casts doubts on move

Jason Euell has dislocated his shoulder, casting doubts over a potential move from Charlton.

Birmingham have expressed an interest in the want-away midfielder, who has found himself out of Alan Curbishley’s first-team plans last season.

Only yesterday, the Charlton boss insisted he was not about to let the 28-year-old leave for a cut-price deal, and indeed hoped the south-east London club’s record £4.75million signing from Wimbledon during the summer of 2001 would stay and fight for his place.

Any transfer talks, however, will now most likely have to wait until the extent of Euell’s injury is determined after he was injured during in the second half of the 2-0 defeat of a Charlton XI by Dover Athletic last night.

Euell was immediately taken to hospital, where the shoulder was set back in place, and will see a specialist to assess any tissue damage.

Curbishley is also be without keeper Dean Kiely for the start of the new season, after the 34-year-old fractured a finger during training, and is likely to be unavailable for around six weeks.

“We’ve now had two major disappointments in the last 24 hours with Dean fracturing his finger and Jason dislocating his shoulder – we wish them both a speedy recovery,” said Curbishley.

“It’s particularly frustrating because the two injuries were sustained in a freakish manner.

“Dean was just warming up and an opponent fell on Euellie, so they’re things you can’t do much about,” he added on the club’s official website, www.cafc.co.uk.

“But that’s what squads are for though. Obviously this will give further opportunities to someone else.”

Centre-back Talal El Karkouri (knee) remains touch and go for the start of the new Barclays Premiership season, while captain Matt Holland (shoulder) is an injury concern for tonight’s friendly with Feyenoord at The Valley.

On a positive note, strikers Shaun Bartlett and Kevin Lisbie both continued their fitness work with a run-out for the second-string last night.