Surgery scheduled for Peterborough United skipper who faces a battle to play again before Christmas, plus updates on Edwards, Beevers, Morton and Randall

Norburn is scheduled to have surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament tomorrow (April 5). It’s an injury that tends to keep a professional footballer on the sidelines for up to nine months.

The 29 year-old suffered the injury playing in an international friendly for Grenada on a 4G surface in Andorra last week.

Posh manager Grant McCann said: “Oliver was in today and, while it’s never nice to get this injury, if you’re going to suffer it, now is probably the best time as the season is almost over.

“He’s booked into surgery tomorrow. I’ve seen this injury a few times and once the operation settles down you can crack on and recover.

“He’s going to miss the first few months of the season, but with a good rehab he could be back in October or November and we will do all we can to help him get better.”

It’s a big blow for Norburn who was expected to leave Posh in the summer. The 29 year-old submitted a transfer request in January after expressing a wish to rejoin his young family in the north of England, just four months after joining Posh from Shrewsbury.

Championship rivals Blackpool were keen on him, but Posh rejected all bids while promising Norburn they would review the situation in the summer. The Seasiders might well now look elsewhere.

On-loan goalkeeper Steven Benda could also miss the rest of the season because of a broken finger, while on-loan striker Callum Morton has returned to parent club West Bromwich Albion for treatment on a shoulder injury.

Defenders Ronnie Edwards and Mark Beevers should return to the Posh squad for the home Championship match with play-off chasing Luton Town tomorrow (April 5, 7.45pm). Edwards missed the home hammering by Middlesbrough because of Covid, while Beevers had a personal issue which forced him to drop out on the morning of the game.

Summer signing Joel Randall trained today, but won’t be available tomorrow.