Coxy has a torn hamstring

Last updated : 05 November 2002 By Tony Scholes

It is unlikely that he will be back in contention for at least four weeks after having to come off with less than ten minutes on the clock on Saturday.

Even before the kick off during the warm up he looked to be really struggling and this was highlighted during the early stages of the game. He had to come off against Portsmouth a week earlier and had missed the Grimsby debacle.

Maybe it was conceding the six goals at Grimsby that prompted us to bring him back in but we are set to be without him for the next few games.

Stan has said that he wants to play Steve Davis in midfield but with very few options now at the back since Mitchell Thomas and Kevin Ball left, made worse with the fact that Stretch Armstrong is apparently injured again, there seems little if any alternative.

Branchy filled in there at Grimsby rather than move Davis back but that hardly seems an option and that leaves Mark McGregor (he struggled at Blundell Park) or the untried Earl Davis.

Apart from a short run out in a pre-season friendly Earl has not featured in a first team squad and so there seems little alternative just now other than for Davis to go back to his natural position. We can only hope that we don’t pick up any more injuries in this department.

It has been a struggle there all season with Coxy and Davis having already missed games though injury and Arthur having been suspended. Arthur is just a yellow card away from another suspension and that could cause us some serious defensive problems should it come along whilst Coxy is out.