IAIN Sutcliffe will tomorrow have a steel plate inserted into his fractured cheekbone.

But the tough former Oxford University boxer still hopes to be playing again within a month.

Sutcliffe was hit in the face by a bouncer from young Durham paceman Liam Plunkett in the National League last Sunday.

However, he has already showed his toughness this season by hitting his first century for Lancashire with a broken thumb, against Essex last month, and returning within three weeks after having the top of the thumb shaved off.

Now he is refusing to accept that his latest injury blow could rule him out for the rest of the season.