Team manager Cliff Humphreys admits Wisbech are still reeling from Mark Laws' broken ankle.

The Harecroft Road club's joint-skipper was substituted during Saturday's fine 21-3 home victory over Cantabrigian after his ankle got trapped under a tackle. And the chief kicker's worse fears were confirmed when an X-ray showed the true extent of the problem which looks set to end his season just two games after it started.

Humphreys said: 'I think we all heard the crack but Mark said he was okay, even though he thought he'd done something to his ankle.

'He wasn't rolling around in too much pain or anything. He was pulling his ankle trying to manipulate it. He thought he might have dislocated it. It wasn't swelling so he came off, put some ice on it, managed to stand on it, but then said something wasn't right. He went to hospital and they confirmed it was broken. It's a massive problem with a, his kicking ability, and b, his work as our fitness coach.

'He's been at the club for a long time, apart from a few months with Peterborough, and he's an important part of the club. He'll be out for at least 20 weeks, if not longer we think. We put in a good performance at Beccles (opening-day defeat), enjoyed a good win against Cantabs, but Mark's injury has really knocked the stuffing out of people.'

Laws was set to have his right ankle, his kicking foot, operated on this week. The break is throught to need plates and screws to fix it.

Wisbech, minus Laws, travel to Wanstead for their third London North-East Division Three match of the term this afternoon. And with four or five players absent due to work commitments, Humphreys concedes the club are 'struggling again' in terms of numbers for an away fixture.