TITUS Bramble last night revealed the true extent of his hernia hell as he admitted that breaking down in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final was "the biggest blow of his career".

The Newcastle centre-half faces a month on the sidelines after over-stretching to meet a Jermain Defoe cross and limping out of his side's 1-0 win over Tottenham.

Bramble had been nursing a long-standing groin complaint for almost a month and, while Magpies manager Graeme Souness had hoped to nurse him through to the end of the season unscathed, the latest setback will only be solved through surgery.

The 23-year-old, who is expected to go under the knife later this week, will miss four of the most crucial weeks of the season as a result.

Ironically, Bramble's latest injury setback came as he was enjoying his most consistent run since joining Newcastle in a £5m move from Ipswich almost three years ago.

After slipping up in Heerenveen last month, he produced exemplary displays against both Bolton and Liverpool as Newcastle earned six precious Premiership points.

He also impressed in the first half of Sunday's cup win and, after responding so positively to Souness' repeated pleas for consistency, the domineering defender is understandably devastated to find himself back to square one.

"I'm gutted, absolutely gutted," admitted Bramble, who has featured in every game since November's 1-1 draw with Everton. "This is as big a blow as I've had during my career.

"It is very hard to take, but I've got to accept what has happened and get on with my recovery.

"I don't think I've had a better run of games as a Newcastle player. My confidence is high and I've been playing well.

"To have that ended by an injury is a massive blow, especially as it is at such an important stage of the season with so many big games coming up."

The timescale of Bramble's injury at least gives him a major incentive to make sure his recovery progresses as planned.

Yesterday's FA Cup semi-final draw paired Newcastle with reigning champions and current favourites Manchester United and, with the Magpies almost certain to be in the last eight of the UEFA Cup, that game is likely to be played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Sunday, April 17.

It would be a major boost if Bramble were to be available for the tie and, as he has historically been a quick healer, the defender sees no reason why he should not be fit in time.

"All I can do is hope," he said. "I'm going to look after myself while I'm recovering from the operation and, with a bit of luck, I'll be back in time for the semi-final in Cardiff.

"That will be a fantastic occasion and I would love to be there. I've never played at Cardiff, but I've been told it's a special venue.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out at this stage and that gives me something to aim for. I've never been this far in the FA Cup so it's a new experience for me."

In the meantime, United will have to tackle tomorrow's UEFA Cup home game against Olympiacos, and the next two ties in the competition should they progress, without both Bramble and Jean-Alain Boumsong.

The former will also miss league games against Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Tottenham but, despite proving so integral to the club's recent defensive turnaround, he remains confident his fellow defenders can maintain their improvement without him.

"The improvement in our defensive record isn't just down to me," said Bramble. "Although it's nice to be praised by people.

"The manager has worked a lot on defending as a team and it's down to us all. I feel as though I've been playing well, but the manager has stressed that none of us can get complacent."

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