AFC Wimbledon defender Paul Osew will spend six weeks on the sidelines after the defender sustained a stress fracture to his tibia.

The club confirmed on their official website that the issue was flagged up on a recent scan.

The 19-year-old missed the Dons' last game against Gillingham on the weekend due to the issue, and the severity of the injury could keep Osew out until the end of the season.

"He’s played a lot of games and the intensity of first-team football is obviously a lot higher than playing at youth team level. That’s probably the reason why this has happened," AFC Wimbledon physiotherapist Stuart Douglas told the club website.

First-team manager Glyn Hodges added that the injury is just a "hiccup" for Osew in the grand scheme of things.

“These things happen and it looks like playing all of those games has put a load on him because he hasn’t fully developed yet," the Dons boss said.

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"There are things that he can work on now so that he will definitely be fit for the start of next season. He can come back fitter and stronger.”

Osew has made his breakthrough into the first-team this season from the club's academy, regularly fighting for the left-back berth with Nesta Guinness-Walker.

In total, Osew has made 23 appearances in all competitions in his first season of senior football, including fifteen starts in League One.

AFC Wimbledon currently find themselves in 19th place in the division, with 34 points from 34 games.

The Verdict

This will no doubt be a blow to AFC Wimbledon, as it could mean the end of Osew's season, which will also be a disappointment to the player himself.

He has stepped up well to the rigours of League One football, which has helped him develop further as a player.

Osew's injury now means that Nesta Guinness-Walker is the only option available at left-back, and the 20-year-old will be hoping he can show Hodges that he can be consistent from now until the end of the season.