Bristol Rovers defenders Lewis Gibson and James Gibbons are on the verge of returning from injury, Joey Barton has said. James Connolly, meanwhile, is set to learn next week if he can return to full training.
The trio have all been ruled out for several weeks, leaving Barton's defensive ranks depleted and the Gas have suffered as a result, holding the second-worst defensive record in League One after 10 games. Gibson has been sidelined with a calf muscle tear, while Gibbons and Connolly have foot and back stress fractures respectively.
Barton said a week ago there was "light at the end of the tunnel" with Rovers' injury woes easing and he shared another positive update on full-back Gibbons and centre-half Gibson. However, Saturday's trip to Exeter City will come too soon for the pair; instead, they could play some part in Tuesday's EFL Trophy game against Crystal Palace under-21s at the Mem.
"We’ll see," Barton said. "They’ve obviously got bits of work to do. They’ve got the top end of the high-speed running to do on Saturday into Monday. If they come through that, they’ll be pushing to get some moments in that game.
"We’ll have a call to make. If that game was the next week, it would be perfect for them, so whether we get a full week of training into them with the group – and then we’ve got Swindon in a couple of weeks – and then it brings them into matchday contention.
"The beauty of that is they are coming back. For me, getting them back on the pitch and when I knit them together, I know we’re going to be a really good unit."
Centre-back Connolly, who was the leader of the defence until he was sidelined, has been a particularly big miss for Rovers because he is both comfortable on the ball as well as defending high up the pitch, two requirements of a defender in Barton's team. The manager is keeping his fingers crossed for good news when the 20-year-old meets with a doctor next week.
"You’re going off a specialist," Barton said. "It was an old stress fracture that he had in his spine, so you’re waiting for the surgeon to give the OK. I think he’s due either Monday or Tuesday to get a thumbs up or a thumbs down to kick on to the next stage.
"If he gets that, he’ll be two or three weeks away, but he’s in the specialist's hands on that and we’re hoping for good news in the early part of next week. He feels OK and ready to kick on, but you’ve got to get the green light from the more intelligent people."
The absence of utility man Josh Grant has also been acutely felt by Barton. The manager raves about the 23-year-old's football brain and his positional versatility, but he has been limited to just one appearance this season due to a niggling knee injury identical to the one that plagued him last season.
Needless to say, the manager is eager to see Grant back in action as soon as possible.
"He had a little bit of tendinitis in the bottom side of his patellar," Barton said. "He had it in one knee last year. He’s come back and got it in the other knee.
"Since I’ve been here, I think he’s had every injury and I’m hoping the scar tissue of all of them will strengthen him up. It’s frustrating for Josh because you all know the regard I hold him in firstly as a player and as a lad. I think he’s a superb kid and it must be so frustrating for him because there is a really good player in there.
"Unfortunately, he hasn’t had that consistent run of training, which leads to a consistent run of games. He hasn’t been able to show the world just what a good player he is. One day that will change, that is my belief. You’ve just got to keep believing one day that will change with all the work he is doing and the effort he puts in.
"For us, getting Josh’s attributes into our group is so important because he can play four or five different positions and he also plays them at a high level because of the football acumen and IQ he has. It’s really frustrating. I wish I could give him some of my body parts that I don’t need anymore so he can go and fulfil his potential because he’s a superb player."
There is good news for Rovers regarding Josh Coburn. The striker will play for Middlesbrough under-21s against Newcastle United on Friday with a view to linking up with the Gas next week after a knee injury.
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