Sam Finley missed Bristol Rovers' opening game of the season with a groin injury, Joey Barton revealed after the defeat to Forest Green Rovers.
Regan Hendry scored the winning goal in the 89th minute, curling home from 20 yards at the Mem on an afternoon when Rovers suffered without their captain and vice-captain. With Paul Coutts fulfilling the second game of a four-match ban, midfield general Finley was due to take the armband and provide his trademark tenacity in the centre of the park.
But an injury picked up in Rovers' training game at the Mem seven days ago ruled the 29-year-old out, and he is "touch and go" to play a week from now at Burton Albion. Coutts also has an injury niggle, but he is already unavailable until August 13 due to his red card in the penultimate game of last season, and the increasing shortage of options is heightening Rovers' need to make moves in the transfer market.
"We’ll monitor him (Finley) during the week," Barton said. "Obviously, Couttsy serves another game of his suspension.
"Sam picked up a little bit of a groin issue in the (training) game that we had here and it’s rumbled on this week, so it took him out of the opening fixture.
"He’ll probably be pushing hard, knowing Sam, to be involved at Burton so we’ll assess that this week.
"Couttsy had a bit of a tight thigh but obviously his suspension took him out for today. We’re backing off him because he’s suspended anyway.
"Sam will be touch and go for next weekend but we’ve got six senior players to bring in, definitely. If we can get a seventh, great. We’ve got work to do in the market."
Utility man Josh Grant was also absent on Saturday, and he is unlikely to return for a fortnight.
"He’s been injured for three or four weeks, Josh," Barton added. "He picked up a knee injury before the Swansea game so he’s going to miss another couple of weeks."
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