Gateshead captain Greg Olley awaiting news on serious knee injury

Gateshead captain Greg Olley has confirmed he will discover the severity of the serious knee injury he suffered in last month’s draw with Southend United early in the new year.

The former Newcastle United and Hull City midfielder has been influential during the first half of the National League season as they Heed have forced their way into the play-off places by racking up some impressive results.

They went into their home clash with the Shrimpers on the back of notable away wins at top seven rivals Barnet and Solihull Moors - but were left reeling after Olley hobbled out of the game with what he confirmed as a torn meniscus and damaged medial ligaments. However, the severity of a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury is yet to be confirmed - but there should be further assessment when the Heed skipper meets a consultant in January.

He told The Echo: “There’s never a good time to get injured but we were doing very well in a period of very difficult games when it happened.

“We had three or four play-off contenders in successive weeks, especially against Barnet and Solihull Moors and we had arguably our best performances of the season against them. It’s frustrating but it happens, it’s football.

“Maybe I could have pulled out of the challenge but I can’t have that on my back. It’s happens. The medial was hanging on by a thread, I have a tear in the meniscus and a tear on the ACL but they couldn’t see it properly with the fluid on it. I’m on the recovery and hoping for some good news in January that it isn’t a season-ender and there is good news I am looking to come back in March.”

Olley has cut a frustrated figure after watching from the stands as his side secured progress into the fourth round of the FA Trophy with an impressive 5-1 win at Rochdale before coming back down to earth with a 2-0 home defeat against FC Halifax Town at the weekend.

Despite that setback, Olley believes the Gateshead squad are in a good place as they become more familiar with working under interim manager Rob Elliot after the former Newcastle United goalkeeper replaced Mike Williamson and Ian Watson following their departure to MK Dons in October.

He revealed: “I hate sitting out, I’ve sat and watched games in the hospitality seats and I hate it. I was shouting and bawling at the bench, I’m not the best, I probably should just stay inside.

“But we are flying, we had it with Mike and Ian, the team knew what they were doing. But now we are at the point where we know what we are doing in Rob’s system and structure and how he wants to work. We are all happy with how things are going.”

Gateshead are back in National League action when they visit Oldham Athletic on Saturday afternoon before taking on York City at the International Stadium on Boxing Day.