No masking MK Dons captain's dislike for his facial protection
The MK Dons captain’s new facial mask could be a feature for a few more weeks to come
Alex Gilbey will under go a procedure on his broken nose next week meaning his protective mask will stay on for the foreseeable future.
The 31-year-old has adorned the facial covering in the last couple of games after he felt the force of Accrington goalkeeper Ollie Wright’s fist a couple of weeks ago, breaking the MK Dons captain’s nose.
The whack could not have come at a worst time really for Gilbey, who was making his return to the side having missed the opening three matches of 2026 with a groin issue which had plagued him for a while.
Feeling refreshed and keen to make an impact on his return at the Wham Stadium, the incident happened barely 20 minutes into the game, but Gilbey said a broken nose was not about to disrupt his return to the side as he helped Dons claim a 2-0 win in Lancashire.
“He’s absolutely killed me, that goalie!” said Gilbey. “But there was no chance I was coming off the pitch because I’d missed playing, I’m not used to missing games.”
“I've got to have something done next week because, as you can see, my shnozzle is broken! So until it’s sorted, I have to keep the mask on as long as it needs to be there.”
Getting used to the mask though has taken time, with the captain admitting: “At first in training it was horrific but I’ve gotten used to it.
“On Saturday (against Shrewsbury), it was horrible to have on but it is what it is. I’m not missing any more time, I want to be out there with the lads.”
Even more frustrating than the mask though was missing out on the three games at the start of the year. Absent from the game against former club Colchester United, the 2-2 draw with Chesterfield and the FA Cup third round game against Oxford United, Gilbey admitted a life on the side lines, even if it was for just a couple of weeks, was tough to endure.
“I hated it,” he said. “It was a niggle I was dealing with for a while. When the games were in such quick succession, it was rearing its head a bit too much and it was uncomfortable to play with.
“When you look at the squad depth we’ve got, I don’t feel like I’ve got to be a one-man band and carry everything. I can come out, and the team did really well so now we can go full steam ahead.
“Now I’m back and feel fresh, it was like a mini holiday.”