BURY'S 'forgotten' man Matt Barrass has revealed that he may not play again this season in what is a hammer blow to the club.

The highly-rated right back has had a terrible year, making a measly five appearances.

He hopes to be back by mid-March but admits that it may well be the start of next season before he plays first team football again.

"It has been an absolute nightmare," confessed Barrass, who is viewed as one of the brightest prospects on the Shakers books and already rated at about £250,000.

"To sit on the sidelines week in week out makes you appreciate playing more. I've been to every home game but it's hard to sit and watch, especially when the team are going through a bad patch though I think we've been playing well again in the last few games.

"I'm hoping to be back in the middle of March but I won't be too upset if I don't come back until next season because I want to make sure it has healed properly. I'm willing to give it that extra time and the manager agrees."

Barrass' misery began just a few weeks before the season started when he picked up a mystery virus which left him feeling ill and physically weak.

He recovered after a month and played five games on the trot - during which he played superbly - only to break down again with a knee cartilage injury.

When he resumed light training a few weeks later the same injury recurred and Bury decided that the full back should have surgery.

In December he went to Oswestry in Shrewsbury, one of the top sports injury surgeries in the country, and had an operation to try and fix the problem.

"They did the surgery and I was back home the same day. I couldn't walk for about three weeks after that and had to use crutches," said Barrass.

"I'm doing light gym work at the moment but I've not started running and twisting yet because I've got to give it time."

With the Shakers slipping dangerously close to the relegation zone, manager Andy Preece will certainly hope that Barrass is able to make his comeback sooner rather than later.

After breaking into the first team last season, the youngster had made the right back role his own and was attracting interest from several higher division clubs before injury struck.

However, even if it does take until the start of next season before Bury fans see Barrass on the pitch again, the full back's reappearance should be well worth waiting for.

"It's been really frustrating but I'm planning to more than make up for it next year," he promised.