KORTNEY Hause should be fit to play again before Christmas after originally being diagnosed with a fractured ankle.

Fans spotted the 18-year-old central defender on crutches at Adams Park on Saturday after he picked up an ankle problem in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy defeat at Swindon Town.

Blues' medical staff initially feared he wouldn't play again until the new year - but boss Gareth Ainsworth said the injury's not as bad as first thought.

He said: "People saw him on crutches and with a boot on his foot on Saturday. I think that was very precautionary. With a young talent like that you're going to take all the precautions you can.

"We were worried he wouldn't play until the Christmas period. We are very confident he'll be back well before that. There's no actual timescale on it - we are less worried than we were originally."

Hause had just started to nail down a regular spot in the first team and Ainsworth said: "He's an absolute superstar for his age and I don't think a little ankle twist will stop the interest in him, or his own performances. Kortney's a big part of our jigsaw."