By Jon Murray

PAUL Powell's worst fears were realised yesterday when the results of a scan on his injured right knee confirmed that he has sustained cruciate ligament damage.

It means he will be out of action for between four and eight months a devastating blow both to Oxford United and to the 22-year-old player himself.

Powell injured the knee in a challenge with a Walsall player early in the second half of United's 3-2 defeat at the Bescot Stadium on Tuesday. He tried to continue but was clearly in agony and had to be replaced.

His place in United's side against Cambridge at the Manor today was expected to be taken by Scottish defender Neil McGowan, making his first appearance of the season. Powell, who scored 12 goals last season to finish as the team's second highest scorer, and was voted United's Player of the Season, is regarded as the club's most valuable player.

He turned down a move to West Brom, and has been watched by a host of Premiership clubs, among them Newcastle and Tottenham.

"We know it's cruciate damage but we won't know how bad it is until he sees the specialist on Monday," said United's first-team coach Mickey Lewis.

"He'll be out for a few months, certainly, but the encouraging thing is that he's actually walking, so it might not be as bad as we at one time feared."

Physio Neal Reynolds said: "It's the posterior ligaments rather than the anterior ones, and they are ruptured. "He's not in a lot of pain and when he walks around he looks as right as rain. But with an injury like this, it clearly is serious. He sees the consultant on Monday and if the consultant decided surgery is needed to repair it, we're looking at between four and eight months.

"If surgery isn't needed, then it's just a question of building up the strength and it could be any time.

"The good thing, if there is such a thing, is that it has happened this early in the season, just three matches into it. So I think he has a good chance of playing again this season."