Make or break month for defender Brown

By Mark Sugar
June 11 2004

Royals defender Steve Brown will know by the end of June if he's forced to retire from football due to injury.The former Charlton Atheltic captain has been battling with a knee injury for a number of years now and has already undergone surgery 3 times in the last year.

Steve Brown will no by the end of June if he's forced to retire from a knee injury.The former Charlton skipper has been plagued with knee trouble for a couple of years now and despite surgery 3 times,the problem still hasn't cleared up.

And if Brown struggles with his current training schedule to build up the knee,then club physio Jon Fearn has admitted to the Reading Chronicle their isn't much more he can do.

Fearn told the Reading Chronicle;

"Steve's on holiday and we're going to review his situation when he comes back.

"He's been given a maintenance programme to follow but we want to let the knee settle down so we can have a proper look.

"When we've done that we'll decide whether to carry on with the treatment or to stop and say enough is enough.

"You don't want to have to make those decisions but sometimes you realise nothing else can be done and that it is for the best.

"Saying that, knowing Steve he'll do everything possible to give himself the best possible chance of carrying on."

Brown signed for the Royals back in December 2002 and made his debut in the 2-0 defeat to Coventry City on Boxing Day.He has 1 goal to his name,a free kick against Crystal Palace.

Royals boss Steve Coppell is already in the hunt for a new defender with out of contract Luton Town's Emmerson Boyce a top transfer target.