Rarely can a key player being ruled out for two months be considered good news for Bristol Rovers, but Joey Barton is relieved that Jordan Rossiter's knee injury is not as bad as first feared.
The midfielder missed Saturday's win at Charlton Athletic after being forced off midway through the EFL Trophy clash with MK Dons at the Mem in midweek, and the Gas were fearing the worst for a summer signing who has become an integral part of Barton's squad.
The manager said the early indications were he had damaged his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) when jarring his knee in the 4-1 win over the Dons, which could have led to up to a 12-month absence. However, further examinations have confirmed former Liverpool and Rangers prospect Rossiter has injured his meniscus.
It is still a significant issue, but it is a much shorter road to recovery for the 25-year-old, who has thrived in the role of Rovers' midfield facilitator, selflessly putting in shifts week after week, stiffening the spine of Barton's team in his 17 League One appearances this term.
"He’s looking at a couple of months," Barton said. "We thought it was going to be a lot nastier than that, the early signs weren’t great.
"We thought it might have been an ACL, but fortunately, it’s not. It’s his meniscus, it’s still not great, but it’s 6-12 weeks rather than 6-12 months. He’s a big player for us and we missed him."
Rossiter, who's made 20 appearances for Rovers in all competitions this season after signing from Fleetwood Town in the summer, adds to a sizeable group of players on the sidelines, with Trevor Clarke facing a couple of months out with a thigh injury.
Sam Finley (calf), Ryan Loft (muscle spasms) and Harry Anderson (groin) have also missed action in recent weeks, but Barton is not overly concerned, anticipating they will be back in action soon, and the players performing in their absence have done a fine job, too, with the Gas winning three straight games in all competitions.
"Sam Finley was not playing (at Charlton), Harry Anderson was not here, Ryan Loft was not here, so we’ve got a few bodies to come back and they are not far away," he added. "Our squad keeps growing and we’re getting stronger, so let’s see what we can do this season."
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