ANDY Gouck admitted he feared the worst when he was stretchered off in Accrington Stanley's 0-0 draw with Colchester United.
The midfielder - hero of the Reds' FA Cup first round win over Huddersfield - was carried off after slashing his right leg with his own stud.
Gouck revealed how he panicked after seeing blood pouring from the wound following his accident during the first half of Saturday's action-packed FA Cup third round clash.
"I don't really know how I did it," the 31-year-old said.
"I went up for a header, my left boot came across my right knee and my stud sliced it open.
"I just panicked really because I could see my knee cap. That's why I just laid there after I'd done it."
Gouck added how he came close to inflicting a long-term injury on himself.
"I'd cut it right on the joint and the doctor said I was fortunate not to cut any tendons," he said.
"If I'd done that I'd been out for a lot longer.
"But the doctor put some stitches in and now I just have to wait and see how long it takes for it to heal."
Gouck, however, has resigned himself to missing out on the third round replay at Colchester on Tuesday night.
"I'm meant to have the stitches in for a week but it depends on how it heals," he said.
"I'm hoping I should only be out for a couple of weeks."
Meanwhile, defensive midfielder Gordon Armstrong was the second Stanley player in a week to require stitches to a leg wound.
The former Burnley and Sunderland player limped out of the Reds' 5-2 win over Fleetwood Town in the Lancashire FA Marsden Trophy on Tuesday night.
Manager John Coleman said: "Gordon and Andy are a worry. It's very rare you see players get stitches in their leg then we get two in two games."
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