TEAM NEWS: Ian Evatt shares update on Victor Adeboyejo

Victor Adeboyejo is expected to be out of action for four to six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Exeter.

The forward was forced off after just five minutes against the Grecians, with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson taking his place.

“Victor is in the scanner as we speak,” said Ian Evatt. “It looks like a four-to-six-week injury, anything better than that will be a bonus.

Evatt’s strike department is depleted as the Whites prepare to host Oxford, with Dion Charles, Dan Nlundulu and Carlos Mendes Gomes all sidelined.

Meanwhile, Nathan Baxter’s splint is due to come off at the end of the week and he is hoping for good news from a specialist.

“It is tough, I don’t know where to start really,” Evatt continued. “Dion obviously had a setback and again he is going to see a specialist today.

“We will have a better idea what that looks like so probably post-Oxford I will be able to give more of an accurate update.

“Nathan’s splint comes off on Friday, he will then be re-scanned and will go to see the specialist probably on Monday.

“Then, we will have a clearer idea of what that looks like. Best-case scenario is that he gets the all-clear to crack on and will be back in contention for the Stevenage match. We are hopeful Dion will be the same.”

Bodvarsson played most of the game alongside Aaron Collins at Exeter, with Cameron Jerome coming off the bench for the final 18 minutes.

“It is crazy to think we have got such a talented group of strikers and no Carlos, no Dan, no Dion, no Victor,” said Evatt.

“It is hard to take, it is tough. We have certainly been on the wrong end of injuries, especially since Christmas.

“It has to be the volume of games. Everyone wants cup runs but this fixture schedule – Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday – it has really taken its toll.

“Having said that, the positives are that we are still very much in the mix and only a point off where we want to be. We know this is a big week, we have said that all along.

“I have said for weeks now that if we can get to the international break in touch, there is light at the end of the tunnel - players returning, players given rest and recuperation, I think we will be in a much better place but this is a big week.”

Source

karlypants wrote:“It has to be the volume of games. Everyone wants cup runs but this fixture schedule – Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday – it has really taken its toll.

Hmmm?

Who was it who said more or less this and to play the reserves in the cup matches in order to keep or key players free from injury and suspensions and have the required recovery times to prevent them breaking down in training or match games - if we were serious about automatic promotion - because we had such a gruelling schedule of games to play with a backlog building up due to international calls and the odd abandonment/postponements...?

Oh yes, that was ME!

It's almost that I do actually know what I'm talking about at times...

It really wasn't rocket science to see what might well happen if we didn't, was it?