Owen has been captain of Port Vale in the absence of Richards

Port Vale defender Gareth Owen faces a lengthy injury lay-off after fracturing his ankle in the 1-1 draw at Wycombe.

The 28-year-old centre-back was hurt during the first half at Adams Park and left the stadium on crutches.

An X-ray showed that Owen had fractured his left ankle and he had a temporary cast put in place.

The former Stockport captain will see a specialist on Monday to discover the extent of the injury, which could rule him out for the rest of the season.

Owen has featured in all but one of Vale's League Two matches this season, with suspension ruling him out of the 0-0 draw with Barnet on 25 January after being sent off in the defeat against Cheltenham three days earlier.

He had been leading the team since the arrival of new manager Jim Gannon, following the departure of club skipper Tommy Fraser and an injury to top-scorer Marc Richards.

Richards is expected to be out for another three weeks with a torn thigh muscle.

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