Matt Murray backs George Elokobi to make a full recovery

Elokobi suffered an horrific injury on his loan debut at Bristol City, fracturing and dislocating his ankle against Leeds on Saturday.

The 26-year-old Cameroon-born defender will be out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on Tuesday.

Elokobi faces some tough months to return to fitness.

But having been through it all before four years ago when he made a full recovery from a serious knee injury, he knows the long battle ahead. And one man who has shared the ups and downs of that long journey is former Wolves keeper Matt Murray, who was himself trying to rebuild his own career when Elokobi was struck down before.

"I gave it a couple of days before phoning him for a chat," said Murray.

"But as soon as he answered, it was the usual George with his loud and friendly greeting.

"He is, as ever with George, not allowing himself to get too down about it and his attitude to me was that life is not fair but these things happen in football and he will just get on with it. He was telling me that far worse things have happened in life to other people."

Back in November, 2008, after a superb away win at Sheffield United, Wolves' squad was quickly brought down to earth with news of Murray's serious injury while on loan at Hereford.

And the retired keeper said it was a similar feeling after Saturday's victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

"I'd been working for Sky at the game and went down to the tunnel afterwards to see the boys," said Murray.

"At that time everyone was buzzing and delighted to have won the game.

"Then news came through about George and the mood changed very quickly.

"A lot of the lads are very close to George, people like Carl Ikeme, Karl Henry and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in particular, and they were gutted for him."