Charlton Athletic will be without striker Miles Leaburn for the beginning of the new season after the injury he sustained in the side’s pre-season fixture with Welling United, as the South London Press reported.
The 19-year-old forward was forced off in the first half of the Addicks’ 4-0 victory over Welling United, who play their football in the sixth tier of the English football pyramid. The young striker was on the receiving end of a poor tackle from Wings centre-back Taofiq Olomowewe, which, to the surprise of many, was not given as a penalty.
The Addicks have now received the news that Leaburn will miss the beginning of the new League One season, as he has been ruled out for a number of weeks with the ankle injury, it is not known how many weeks exactly it will be, but the striker will not require surgery.
Leaburn is the son of Charlton Athletic legend Carl Leaburn and is coming off his first season as a professional. Last season, the 19-year-old played 35 times in the third tier for the club, scoring 12 goals throughout the season. The teenager has been attracting attention from the top flight, with it reported in April that Aston Villa were lining up a move for the Chelsea academy graduate.
However, the club and their fans will have the news cushioned by the arrival of a new forward at the Valley after they completed the signing of Cheltenham Town striker Alfie May. The club have been linked with the forward since before the transfer window opened, with it being firmly believed the Englishman would leave Whaddon Road, and the Addicks beat rivals in League One to the signing of the striker. Charlton are also without former Arsenal forward Chuks Aneke due to a calf injury, so the pressure will be even greater on May to have an immediate impact when he makes his debut for the club.
Writer’s View
The news of Leaburn missing the start of the season comes as a blow, not just to the club but also to the player, who, as Charlton manager Dean Holden has previously said, needed a strong pre-season so he could keep his career moving in the direction it has been headed so far. In terms of the Addicks’ chances next season though, the club are prepared for this situation and if anyone can step up for the side, it is Alfie May, as he has proven in his time with Cheltenham Town.
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