Inigo Calderon has confessed that he expects Gatlin O’Donkor to be sidelined for “more than one month” with a muscular injury picked up in Bristol Rovers‘ 3-1 win over Peterborough United 10 days ago.
Rovers had been out of action for nine days leading up to Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at home to Stockport County following the Posh victory, leaving fans waiting for a prognosis on the injury with striker options already limited.
Frustratingly, it seems as though the Oxford United loanee will be absent for at least a month with a return before mid-March at the earliest seeming extremely unlikely.
On O’Donkor, Calderon explained after the Stockport draw: “I would say more than a month. Probably a bit more. So it’s not what we wanted but it’s why you have a squad and trust in everyone.”
The 20-year-old had enjoyed a couple of bright displays since the Spaniard’s arrival and scored in the 3-1 win over Barnsley last month.
Rovers have struggled for goals throughout the season so far and are the joint-third lowest scorers in League One with 29 in as many games.
Club-record signing Promise Omochere is expected to be out until around the Easter period with a hamstring tear sustained on New Year’s Day, leaving Chris Martin and deadline day arrival Michael Reindorf as the club’s only available recognised strikers for the foreseeable future, although Ruel Sotiriou is also capable of leading the line.
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Martin has managed just two goals so far this season, both coming against Leyton Orient on New Year’s Day, having netted 16 in League One last term.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Reindorf has arrived on loan from Cardiff City and impressed in a brief debut cameo against Stockport, winning the free-kick that led to the Gas’ equaliser. However, it won’t be fair to expect the teenager to score a hatful of goals having made just four senior appearances for his parent club prior to his loan switch.
Elsewhere, Calderon also confirmed that Romaine Sawyers missed the Stockport game with a quad issue while it is expected that Shaq Forde also wasn’t included because of the same minor problem that saw him miss the Peterborough win.
Asked on Sawyers’ absence, the Rovers head coach revealed: “He has a small injury in his quad. Hopefully it’s not going to be too bad. Hopefully it’s going to be better than Gats’ one but I don’t think he’ll be ready for the next one.”