Coleraine have been dealt a huge blow after it was confirmed one of their key defenders has been ruled out for the next nine months.
Rodney Brown is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after he ruptured his achilles in a freak training ground incident last month.
It completes a miserable few months on the injury front for the centre back who now starts the long road to recovery.
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"I think because it happened in training it probably isn't common knowledge at the moment," said Brown.
"It was about four weeks ago and there were a couple of minutes left of the session, I went up for a header and just heard a snap.
"I thought somebody had actually kicked me, but I turned around and there was nobody near me.
"I went and got a scan and found out I had ruptured my achilles.
"It's really unfortunate, but I had the operation a fortnight ago so I have sort of started on the road to recovery.
"It's been a frustrating year but that was the cherry on top of the cake.
"I picked up an injury against the Glens a few months ago, and I was just coming back from that ahead of the League Cup final and did a bit of training and then this happened.
"It has been so stop-start for me this season after I had played nearly every game last year, it has just been a nightmare all round.
"I've been told that I'm probably looking at nine months out, but obviously everybody is different in terms of healing."
Being out with a long-term injury can be a lonely place for a footballer, but Brown says the support he has had from everyone at Coleraine has made things easier.
"I was really gutted after the first two weeks but I've sort of settled a bit now with it getting easier," he said.
"At Coleraine though you're never forgotten about whether you're playing or not.
"We're a tight bunch down there, Oran (Kearney) is brilliant and the physio team has been so phenomenal with me texting me all the time.
"Things like that help lift your mood. You feel part of the squad no matter if you're playing or injured."
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