Roy Jones Jr expects his fight with Joe Calzaghe to be rescheduled for November 8 after the Welshman suffered an injury which forced the original September 20 date to be postponed.

The pair were set to meet in a light-heavyweight contest at New York's Madison Square Garden in what had originally been expected to be Calzaghe's farewell fight.

However, it emerged yesterday that reigning WBO world super-middleweight and Ring Magazine light-heavyweight champion had sprained his right wrist. The 36-year-old southpaw has a history of hand injuries and Jones, the former four-weight world champion, has been philosophical about the delay.

"It sounds to me as though Joe has a normal and usual injury," Jones said. "He had shown some concern recently about his hand not being ready. I still wanted to move forward with the September date, since HBO (the Home Box Office television network) had already laid out the red carpet for a pay-per-view success when we took the De La Hoya-Mayweather date.

"But I don't want him to be any less than his best - so if this is what it takes for that, then so be it."

Former pound-for-pound superstar Jones, 39, confirmed he expects the fight to go ahead at the prestigious New York venue less than two months later than the original September date. "I have been informed by my people at Square Ring that the fight will most likely be rescheduled for November 8 on HBO Pay-Per-View at Madison Square Garden," he said. "I am glad we are close to being able to put together a new date for the fight within 24 hours of learning of Joe's injury."

Calzaghe saw a consultant yesterday in an attempt to determine the extent of the damage - suffered during training on the pads, according to father Enzo - while talks began between both fighters' advisors, HBO and Garden officials.

There had been signs the Jones fight may not ultimately be Calzaghe's final bow when it recently emerged he wanted to keep his WBO super-middleweight title - having already given up the WBC version - with a match against Kelly Pavlik, the WBC and WBO middleweight champion, remaining a possibility.

However, Jones has indicated the decision to keep the WBO belt may have been due to more complex reasons. "I had originally proposed something kind of different for this fight," he said. "And that is that Joe and I would first weigh-in for the fight at 168lbs and fight for Joe's super-middleweight titles.

"Then we would step off the scales, drink some water and weigh-in again at more than 168 so that we could also fight for Joe's Ring Magazine light-heavyweight title.

"I only recall this happening once before, in the Leonard-Lalonde fight (in 1988) and I think it would really add something unique to the promotion.

"Joe initially expressed concern about his ability to make 168 by September 19, but now that we have another seven weeks, I hope that he will go for it and that the WBA, WBO and the WBC will sanction it."

Calzaghe - boxing's longest-reigning world champion - has already vacated the WBC title, which is likely to be contested by Nottingham's Carl Froch in the near future.

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