The injury thread 2019-20

Updated

Josh Bowler - Heel injury, out until mid to end March.

James Scott - Ankle injury, return date not announced.

Martin Samuelsen - Slight knock, not expected to be out long.

Reece Burke - Calf injury - return date unknown.

Ryan Tafazolli - Hip injury - return date unknown.

Herbie Kane - Ankle injury - return date unknown.

Eric Lichaj - Ankle injury - return date unknown.

Matthew Pennington - Back in training.

Jordy de Wijs - Back in training.

Kevin Stewart - Out until February, hairline fracture of his metatarsal.

Jon Toral - Back in training.

Angus MacDonald - Back in training.

 

An update on all the injured players courtesy of Phil Buckingham...

Matthew Pennington (groin)

The on-loan Everton defender has been out for the last fortnight after suffering a groin strain during the build-up to the Tigers’ FA Cup clash with Chelsea.

That has seen Pennington miss four games in all competitions but he was scheduled to resume full training today.

No setbacks will likely mean he comes back into contention for the trip to Blackburn.

What Grant McCann’s said: “Pennington should be back. We’ll have him back training with us on Monday.”

Return date: Tomorrow night at Blackburn

Eric Lichaj (ankle)

After starts at right-back and left-back since the turn of the year, City’s switch to centre-back was ended prematurely when he was forced off with 20 minutes to play in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Reading.

Lichaj, who has only missed two league games this season, left the Madejski Stadium wearing a protective boot and on crutches so it would seem highly improbable that he would be available to face either Blackburn or Swansea on Friday night.

The Amercian’s likely absence will see Jackson Irvine take on the captaincy.

What Grant McCann’s said: “It looks like it’s going to be quite a bad one. He’s gone to block and his foot has just planted on the floor. His ankle twisted. He’s in a boot and crutches.”

Return date: Unknown

Jordy de Wijs (calf)

The Dutch defender has not been seen since the 1-0 defeat to Fulham last month after suffering from tight calves in the build-up to Derby County loss a few days later.

That was not initially considered a serious problem but De Wijs has now missed five league and cup games.

McCann suggested ahead of the Reading game that he expected to have De Wijs back in full training today but appeared less certain of his availability.

What Grant McCann’s said: “He is a miss because for me he is the best centre-back in the league. You could ask anyone in this league and Jordy would be right up there. He is a miss.”

Return date: Tomorrow unlikely but possibly against Swansea on Friday

Reece Burke (calf)

A surprising absentee for the weekend’s 1-1 draw at Reading after it emerged the centre-back had suffered a calf strain in the wake of the 5-1 defeat to Brentford seven days earlier.

Burke will miss this week’s games against Blackburn and Swansea with the complaint but there is hope he could be back in time to be involved in the trip to Preston on Saturday week.

That eight-day game between games will give him the best chance of recovering well.

What Grant McCann’s said: “They’re not big injuries, they’re just niggles. Reece has played more games this year than all of last year and they’re getting to a point where muscles are tired. They’re still young.”

Return date: Late February

Ryan Tafazolli (hip)

Another one that was unexpectedly ruled out of the Reading trip with a hip injury, ending a useful run of performances in City’s first team.

Tafazolli is expected to be back in action before the end of the month at a time when City’s defensive numbers should be almost back to full strength.

What Grant McCann’s said : “Taf is his hip. It’s going to be two or three weeks at the most but two or three weeks in the Championship is five or six games.”

Return date: Late February

Martin Samuelsen (knee)

Cameos off the bench came against Derby and Chelsea for the new recruit to introduce himself but his City career has now been put on hold for a short period.

Samuelsen picked up a heel injury in the FA Cup fourth round tie, complaining of discomfort in the run-up to facing Huddersfield Town.

The last three games have all been missed, as will tomorrow’s trip to Blackburn, but City are hopeful the injury is not serious.

What Grant McCann’s said: “We’re starting to get a few back close. Martin is probably going to be the week after (this one). It’s not ideal with the injuries at the minute.”

Return date: Late February

James Scott (ankle)

A disastrous opening training session with City left the recent £1m signing from Motherwell “devastated” when denied a debut at Reading.

An ankle problem suffered in training ensures Scott will not be seen this week and it is still unclear how long he will be made to wait before finally making his City debut.

Scans are likely to come this week when the Tigers medical team can expect to get a clearer understanding of the problem.

What Grant McCann’s said: “We’ll maybe have a bit more news on that over the next week or two. They’re just waiting for the swelling to go down before they can properly asses it. It was just a freak accident really.”

Return date: Unknown

Herbie Kane (ankle)

Another of the January signings was ruled out of the Reading fixture just hours before kick-off.

Kane had picked up an injury in training on Friday but City had been hopeful he could still play a part at the Madejski Stadium.

The on-loan Liverpool midfielder was part of the City squad that travelled to Reading but it was decided no risks would be taken. A return at Blackburn cannot be ruled out if there is nothing sinister to come from this setback.

What Grant McCann’s said: “Herbie went over on his ankle in training with nobody near him. We thought he was going to be okay. We tried a fitness test (on Saturday morning) but it wasn’t right. We don’t think it’ll be long.”

Return date : Unknown

Jon Toral (knee)

There has been a cautious excitement around the Spaniard’s scheduled return to full training today.

Toral has not featured for the Tigers since suffering knee ligament damage in the win away to Fulham in early November, an injury that saw him undergo surgery in Barcelona.

Three weeks of light training have brought him back to this point but the 25-year-old’s fitness record inside the last two years will ensure no-one will want to push him unless fully ready.

What Grant McCann’s said: “Jon has been out on the grass, he has been doing a lot of ball work with the conditioning coaches. He just needs to build his fitness up. He’ll be back training with us on Monday.”

Return date: Either this week or next week

Kevin Stewart (broken foot)

An encouraging season in City’s midfield came grinding to a halt in late November when suffering a broken metatarsal.

Stewart has not played since the 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough but has recently stepped up his comeback and could resume full training by the end of this week.

The trip to Preston on Saturday week could be an optimistic target after three months out but the home double-header against Barnsley and Leeds is not out of the question.
What Grant McCann’s said: “Kevin is getting closer though. I think Jon will be back before Kevin but it could be the end of this week.”

Return date: Late February

Josh Bowler (heel)

The on-loan Everton is a fortnight into what was initially forecast to be an absence of between six and eight weeks after he last appeared in the 1-0 loss at Derby.

That is forecast to see him remain out until the middle of next month and it will be a battle for Bowler to play again before the March international break.

If that’s the case, he will be looking at the trip to West Brom on April 4. Only five Championship games follow after that.

What Grant McCann’s said: “Josh will be out for six to eight weeks,” Grant McCann confirmed when speaking to the media. I knew there was something wrong with Josh because he couldn’t put his foot on the floor. It’s a blow for us.”

Return date: Late March/early April

Angus MacDonald (bowel cancer)

None have waited longer to be given the green light for a comeback than MacDonald.

The centre-back has fought back from deep vein thrombosis and bowel cancer since he last turned out for the Tigers in August 2018, but a return to training has given him hope of playing again this season.

MacDonald is currently limited to gym work as he builds up his strength and could feature for the under-23s next month if everything goes to plan.

Return date: Unknown