Bristol Rovers will have to nervously wait to learn the extent of Gatlin O’Donkor’s injury sustained in the Gas’ 3-1 win over Peterborough United with Inigo Calderon confirming it is an issue with the striker’s hamstring.
The 20-year-old was withdrawn in the first half of Sunday’s win having gone down in the penalty area with what looked to be a muscular injury which Calderon confirmed as a hamstring problem post-match.
O’Donkor is the second forward to sustain a hamstring injury since the Gas head coach’s arrival in late December after Promise Omochere was ruled out for a lengthy period of time after suffering a hamstring tear on New Year’s Day.
It is understood that the Oxford United loanee was set for a scan early this week but the severity of the issue is unlikely to be confirmed publicly until next week with no match until a home clash with Stockport County on February 11. The trip to Wycombe Wanderers scheduled for this weekend was pushed back to February 18 due to the Chairboys’ progress in the FA Cup.
Rovers were able to bring in another striker on deadline day in Michael Reindorf on loan from Cardiff City but the hope will be that O’Donkor’s issue is as unserious as possible.
On the striker’s injury, Calderon told Bristol Live after Sunday’s win: “He felt something in his hamstring. So hopefully not too much but I would say he’s not going to be available for next week. I’m not a doctor but when a player is coming off in the first half, that’s not a very good symptom.”
There were also absences from the squad for Shaq Forde and Jamie Lindsay as debutant Matt Butcher was thrown straight into the starting line up.
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Both had started the previous game away at Charlton Athletic five days prior but weren’t involved with Lindsay spotted doing individual work with staff prior to the warm-ups on the pitch at the Mem, suggesting that the midfielder was available but not selected.
Explaining the pair’s absences, Calderon revealed: “Shaq was a small thing in his knee but he’s improving a lot. So probably even for the next game, maybe he’s ready.
“Jamie was just, again, it’s a matter of numbers and, as I say, I feel bad for them because he started the last game but now he was out of the squad. I was trying to find the balance.
“First you do the line up and then you do the squad. You have to try to think in the changes you can make during the game and we thought that the ones we have, they give us more chances to change the line up.”