AJ Styles is expected to be part of Smackdown this coming Tuesday, whether or not he is cleared to wrestle.
The Wrestling Observer provided an update on the status of Styles, who injured his ankle during the TLC Match against Dean Ambrose this past Sunday in the main event of the TLC pay-per-view.
The injury kept Styles out of in-ring action on the Smackdown following TLC, and Styles also did not work the WWE house show schedule this weekend.
On an episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE hopes Styles will be cleared in time for Smackdown, this Tuesday, from Washington, D.C. Even if Styles cannot wrestle, he is expected to be there. WWE's web site currently is promoting a match between Styles and challenger James Ellsworth for the WWE World Heavyweight Title for the December 13 episode of Smackdown.
Styles injured his ankle when he took a backdrop over the top rope during the TLC Match. Styles did not seem too concerned about the severity of his injury, posting earlier this week on his Instagram:
Ankle injuries are becoming quite frequent on Smackdown. Two other members of the "blue brand" currently are sidelined due to ankle issues of their own: Naomi and Jey Uso.
The TLC Match between Styles and Ambrose earned several rave reviews, including one from longtime WWE commentator Jim Ross, who, on his blog, wrote their match was "as strong a bout as WWE has had in 2016."
