Lewis Richards returns to Wolverhampton Wanderers from Harrogate Town following ankle injury

Lewis Richards, right, in League Two action for Harrogate Town against Salford City. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

The on-loan left-back is facing around four months out with an ankle injury and, as a result, his season-long deal with the Sulphurites has been cut short.

Richards, 21, recently underwent surgery on a ruptured deltoid ligament suffered during a Wolves U21s friendly and will now complete his rehabilitation with his parent club.

“Lewis went back to Wolves to play in a friendly as he hadn’t had much game-time,” explained Rachel McGeachie, Town’s head physiotherapist.

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver offers on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Lewis Richards some words of advice.

"The injury to his ankle wasn’t deemed serious at the time and he returned to us after that game, but the next time we saw him he asked for his ankle to be strapped.

"It became apparent that he was struggling, so I contacted Wolves and they took him back and scanned him, revealing the rupture to his deltoid ligament, which is on the inside of the ankle.

"It was snapped, so he needed surgery and because it’s quite a bad injury, the recovery time is fairly significant.”

Richards made 13 appearances in all competitions for Town this term, nine of those outings coming in League Two.

This season’s loan spell was his second with Harrogate having played eight times for Simon Weaver’s team last term before heading back to Molyneux prematurely due to injury.

"It’s obviously a blow to lose Lewis,” Weaver said.

"Left-back is now an area where we will look at possibly trying to strengthen.

"But, him returning to Wolves does free up a loan spot in the squad and we may look to bring another loan player in.”