TOWERING forward Tom Pope could be ruled out for up to six weeks after having an operation on his broken wrist.

The former Port Vale striker sustained the injury during a freak training-ground incident where he fell while attempting to head a cross.

The 30-year-old underwent an hour-long operation on Friday, when he had two screws and a plate inserted into his wrist.

Although advised six weeks by the surgeon, Pope's desire to get back out on the training ground may see him return sooner rather than later.

“They said six weeks, there is still eight weeks of the season left so hopefully I'll be back before the end,” Pope told the Bury Times.

“I might not even be six weeks. As soon as I feel strong enough to be fit then I'll try to get involved and try to get on the training ground as soon as possible.

“The problem with being a target man is that it's probably one of the worst injuries that you can have.

“Certainly for me it's all about using my arms and holding people off but playing with a broken wrist it is very difficult to do that.

“I should have had it done two weeks ago but I pushed it back a couple of weeks to stay involved and try to help the team out but I only got half a game against Wigan so it was probably about the right time to get it done.”

The target man has made only 22 starts in his maiden season at Gigg Lane, compared to an average of 43 over his last three years at Vale Park.

Pope faces stiff competition in the forward positions with Leon Clarke, Ryan Lowe and Danny Rose all fighting for the same spot.

And the forward is hoping he will get more opportunity to show off his talents when he returns from injury.

“It's been difficult to get a run of games,” Pope added. “I started the season ok and then I picked up an injury which didn't do myself any favours.

“I'm getting 20 minutes here, half an hour there, it's hard. I'm one of those players that I've been in the best form of my life for the last two or three years.

“I've gone from playing week in and week out, staying on top of your fitness to do everything that you can to play every week.

“When I play every week and my fitness is showing, that's when I feel I'm at my best, but we have some good strikers here.

“There have been times where I've been changed and I've felt like it was the wrong decision and that I warranted keeping my place but that's football at the end of the day.

“The management make the decisions and when I've been up top it's been great but at the same time I don't think that I've been given the right chances to do that.”

Bury's away form has been woeful having picked up only three points out of a possible 36.

And the forward knows that it must improve if they are to be looking up the League One table again.

Pope said: “You look at the teams that are all up there and our home form is up there with anybody in the league really, it's just our away form that has been awful.

“At the end of the day if you want to be in with a chance of the play-offs and the promotion spots then your away form has got to be up there and ours hasn't unfortunately.”