Inigo Calderon has revealed that Kamil Conteh won’t be available for another couple of weeks as the midfielder continues his recovery from a knee injury that has kept him sidelined since Boxing Day.
The 22-year-old last featured in the 3-1 defeat at Exeter City which Calderon was present for but as a spectator in the stands. Conteh is yet to feature under the new Rovers head coach and it sounds as though his return isn’t imminent.
New midfielder Romaine Sawyers has slotted in in Conteh’s place while Grant Ward has been one of the star players of the Calderon era so far, albeit still in its infancy.
Next up for the Gas is a trip to Wigan Athletic on Saturday followed by another away game at Charlton Athletic next Tuesday before a home game against Peterborough United. Conteh is unlikely to play in any of those matches but Rovers will have a nine day break from action after the Peterborough game due to Wycombe Wanderers’ progress in the FA Cup, who were originally set to host the Gas on February 8.
Discussing the latest on his midfielder’s status, Calderon told Bristol Live: “No, not in a few weeks. I would say a bit a bit longer but we are closer than last week because it was a difficult one to find out exactly what was the problem. As I say, I’m not a doctor but at least now we know what exactly was the problem and we are, I would say, closer to that.
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“It was a difficult one. A really difficult one. As I say, the medical staff, they tried everything possible. It was a moment that we didn’t know what was going on and finally we know what’s the problem. So it will be, depending now how the treatment is going, but at least we know what’s happening. So hopefully it’s going to be better.”
Elsewhere, Rovers have no fresh injury concerns with Promise Omochere the only other absentee who still isn’t expected to feature for a significant period of time after tearing his hamstring in the Leyton Orient defeat on New Year’s Day.
Anything can happen in the transfer window but at this moment in time it doesn’t sound as though the Gas will be completing any business before this weekend’s trip to Wigan after last week saw the loan departures of Bryant Bilongo and Luke McCormick to Harrogate Town and Forest Green Rovers respectively.
“I would say we are the same ones as last week,” Calderon explained. “We still have Promise and Kamil out but the rest are all fit so that’s great news for me.”