Emergency X-rays taken late Sunday night at The Sisters of Saint Mary’s St. Joseph Health Center in Saint Charles, Mo., revealed a break in the fifth metacarpal bone (outermost bone on the pinkie side) in the left hand of southpaw IBF welterweight beltholder Devon Alexander, who suffered the injury during Saturday night’s dominant seventh-round technical knockout of Great Britain’s Lee Purdy at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

“Devon went straight to the emergency room from the airport and got X-rays, and they came back. They saw that he has a break in his fifth metacarpal bone in his left hand,” said Kevin Cunningham, Alexander’s trainer.

“They suggested that they put it in a splint, and they suggested five to six weeks in the splint. It’s a splint that Devon can take off and ice it. So he should heal up and he should be just fine after being in a splint for five to six weeks.”

Cunningham said that the fighter is expected to see a hand specialist for the St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball team on Tuesday.

“They have a doctor…who is a hand specialist and who deals with all of the hand injuries for the Cardinals,” said Cunningham.

“So he’ll go and see the hand specialist and get their analysis of it. But everything will be fine and Devon will be ready to fight in the fall, no problem.”

A former two-belt holder as a 140-pounder, Alexander (25-1, 14 knockouts), 26, broke his hand in the first round against Purdy (20-4-1, 13 knockouts), a 25-year-old Brit who was knocked out for the first time in his career.

A potential opponent for Alexander, likely on Dec. 7, could be former two-division titleholder Amir Khan, according to Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.

“Richard Schaefer mentioned Amir Khan, but we’ll sit down with [advisor] Al Haymon and see what’s what,” said Cunningham.

“I don’t know what the deal is as far as what’s next. But once we get the hand healed up, we’re willing to fight whoever. It doesn’t matter.”

Alexander, meanwhile, would invite a clash with Khan.

“I would love a fight with Khan. He is still a threat in boxing and well-known over in the UK [United Kingdom] and the USA,” said Alexander.

“I think it make for a great fight because everyone see us as a potential fight for Floyd [Mayweather]. If he will take the fight, and that’s very doubtful, but if he does, it makes for a great fight.”

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]