Shield match last week against Swansea City and looks even more unlikely to be a part of the Island's Shell/Umbro Cup squad for the trip to Jamaica next month.

Bermuda Football Association are expected to make a decision this week on whether to fly back Goater and Kyle Lightbourne from their English clubs.

But it's now highly improbable the pair will be recalled, for fear of disrupting their season.

Both players' clubs are in the hunt for promotion, Goater's Bristol City slipping from third to fourth with a 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth on Saturday and Lightbourne's Walsall moving eight points behind City but with two games in hand.

Goater remembers nothing of the tackle which came in the opening 15 minutes of the match which City won 1-0 on a Gary Owers goal last Tuesday. He was told he was challenged from behind and then must have taken an elbow to the jaw as he went down.

"I don't remember a thing, I was dazed,'' said Goater when contacted yesterday. "When the physio came on I told him it was my knee and then he saw the blood coming out of my mouth.'' Goater went off immediately and had five stitches inserted in his lip by the club doctor. He is now wearing a gum shield, similar to those worn by boxers, which he must keep in for the next six weeks while the fracture heals.

The Bermudian is hoping to be back in action soon but won't know just how soon until he is able to resume training. He has not trained since the injury and does not know what the effects will be once he tries to head the ball.

"I shouldn't imagine being out for long,'' said Goater. "There is a slight possibility of being fit for Saturday.

"The manager wants me to start training on Wednesday if I can, but if I train Wednesday and Thursday it would be without heading. On Friday I'll see what it's like heading and then I'll declare myself fully fit or not fit to play.'' This is the second injury of the season for Goater following a recent knee ailment which kept him out for five games.

While other fractures might have kept him out for more than a month, he has been told he will still be able to play while this injury heals.