‘Not good’ - Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann confirms the extent of Matty Pearson's injury
Matty Pearson is set to miss a big chunk of matches in the weeks and months ahead
Doncaster Rovers defender Matty Pearson is likely to be out of action until December after picking up yet another injury.
Pearson, who featured 37 times across all competitions last term, had already missed the opening seven matches of the season due to a calf problem before being welcomed back onto the pitch for the 3-1 defeat to Huddersfield Town in the EFL Trophy.
The 33-year-old was one of six players that evening to play the full 90 at the Club Doncaster Sports Village and was subsequently selected to start the following league match against AFC Wimbledon in South London.
However, Pearson’s League One comeback lasted just six minutes after it became clear that he had sustained an awkward looking injury when clearing the ball out for a corner five minutes earlier.
Commenting on the extent of the injury, McCann said: “Unfortunately, he's going to be out for 10 to 12 weeks with a hamstring tear which is not the best possible outcome for us and Matty, bless him, he's just got back fit and ran back, and I think in the second or third minute, just made a run back and felt his hamstring.
“Then he cleared a clearance from a corner which he told me he went with the wrong foot because he wasn't comfortable to clear it with his left which he pulled. So that's not good, but fortunately he doesn't need surgery so it's more just a healing sort of process with him.”
As things stands, it means Pearson, at the absolute earliest, won’t be back until Thursday 26 November, which happens to be the date that Rovers again play the defender’s former club Huddersfield Town. However, if it does prove to be 12 weeks, the centre-back could miss as many as 14 matches when factoring in the EFL Trophy and the FA Cup games alongside league matches.
Elsewhere, Rovers are also expected to be without midfielder Harry Clifton. The 28-year-old, who missed the trip to AFC Wimbledon, recently had a double hernia operation. McCann said: “It isn’t as bad as it sounds. He'll be back as soon as the international break's finished in fact, if we had a game next week, he probably would be back for that.”
Tom Nixon is back in training as he edges closer to a first appearance of the campaign. However, fellow right-back Jamie Sterry is unlikely to be risked until after the international break after his hamstring injury in the League Cup loss to Middlesbrough.
“Sterry is still touch and go, I don't think we'll probably risk him on Saturday but he'll be back for after the international break and then obviously Frankie and Collins are a little bit further than that,” McCann added.