Inigo Calderon has confessed that Michael Reindorf has had a “bad spell” in recent training sessions lately after the Cardiff City loanee was once again left out of Bristol Rovers‘ matchday squad for Saturday’s 5-0 defeat at Lincoln City.
The 19-year-old has made just three appearances from the bench since his arrival on deadline day last month and hasn’t played since the 2-1 defeat at Northampton Town on February 22. In fact, the striker hasn’t made a squad since that afternoon in Northamptonshire.
Calderon has had to deal with a host of injury issues to strikers lately with Promise Omochere now set to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, Gatlin O’Donkor being sidelined since February 2 and Chris Martin missing two of the last three games with a slight knee issue. Rovers are also set to lose Ruel Sotiriou to international duty with Cyprus this week.
However, despite limited options up front, Reindorf still has found it difficult to get himself on the Gas bench at the very least.
“I think he has had a bad spell [with] performance for me in the sessions,” Calderon admitted after Saturday’s defeat to Lincoln. “Of course you don’t see the sessions. This week I think he was better, but still it is like you are in the queue because when the players they come to your place and you lose your place in the squad, you have to wait a little bit. But I think he was a bit better this week.”
Calderon has previously noted his concept of having a ’19th man’ travel with the matchday squad in case of any players being forced to pull out and Reindorf has often found himself as the player just on the periphery of the final 18.
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Once again, the striker was seen doing individual fitness drills at the LNER Stadium before his teammates came out for their pre-match warm-up with academy forward Ollie Dewsbury fancied for a place on the bench ahead of him despite only turning 17 a couple of weeks ago.
Amid a shortage of strikers, Rovers tried to add another option to their ranks on deadline day by bringing in Reindorf on loan. According to reports elsewhere, the 19-year-old had been headed for League Two side Notts County before the Gas swooped in and picked up the teenager for the remainder of the season themselves.
Reindorf has made four senior appearances for Cardiff, one of which coming against the Gas in the Carabao Cup first round, following his move from Norwich City last summer.
The striker never made a senior appearance for the Canaries but did have a loan spell in non-league with Kettering Town last season.