Bristol Rovers captain Paul Coutts may not return to action until the new year, Joey Barton has revealed, after the midfielder learned the scale of his ankle injury.
Coutts is on crutches and wearing a protective boot after rolling his ankle in training at The Quarters last month, missing Rovers' past three games. The Gas had hoped the 34-year-old would be able to return within around a month, but it could take twice as long after scans showed it to be a tendon injury.
The former Sheffield United and Preston North End midfielder, who has played 11 times for the Gas this season, laying on two assists, is recovering at home with his family in Aberdeen. With a return to training to rebuild his fitness taking into account, Barton admitted it is possible that the Scot may have played his final game of 2022.
"It’s a tendon on the outside and he’s really irritated that with the way he landed," Barton added at Thursday's pre-match press conference. "He’s in a protective boot and we’re waiting for it to heal. It was four weeks, we thought, but it’s turned out to be six to eight."
Injury problems had played a big part in Rovers' poor start to the season, but availability improved in October and results did likewise, with the Gas losing just once in all competitions. However, the list is growing again, with Ryan Loft (hamstring), Harry Anderson (groin) and Lewis Gibson (groin) all ruled out for Saturday's FA Cup first-round tie against Rochdale at the Mem.
John Marquis (knee) also misses out, although he is nearing a return after spending almost a month on the sidelines. Trevor Clarke, meanwhile, is fit to play after being forced off late on in the defeat at Derby County on Saturday.
"John Marquis is back on the grass, albeit it is going to come way too soon for him," Barton added.
"Lewis Gibson and Lofty are going to be touch and go for the Fleetwood game (November 12). The Peterborough game (November 19) will probably be right for them, but if they progress quicker they might have a sniff of the Fleetwood game.
"Harry I think is going to miss that Fleetwood game and at least be another couple of weeks, but we’ve got enough bodies in there and we’re going to have a strong team out on Saturday, a team that should be capable of progressing.
"(Clarke is) alright, he jarred his back. (David) McGoldrick not only got a hat-trick but absolutely flattened Trev in the corner. I could see he it caused a bit of discomfort and he was struggling to catch his breath, Trev, so it winded him and he had a bit of a back spasm off the back of it.
"He’s seen the doc and he’s alright now thankfully. He’ll be fit and ready to go, he’s trained well this week."
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