Blackpool have been rocked by yet another injury blow, fresh from getting striker Kyle Joseph fit this weekend.
As reported by the Blackpool Gazette, Joseph was back in contention after a long spell on the sidelines, returning to the side for the final ten minutes of their 1-0 defeat to promotion rivals Bolton Wanderers.
However, as one door opens, another closes, and it seems that Joseph’s return coincides with another player suffering an injury setback. Shayne Lavery, signed from Linfield in 2021, had a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury earlier in the season. He’s now set for a second stint on the injury table after coming off in Blackpool’s recent FA Cup victory.
“He’s unfortunately out,” Blackpool boss Neil Critchley said of Lavery’s fitness ahead of this weekend’s fixture against struggling Shrewsbury Town.
“He had to come off against Bromley because he felt his hamstring. We were hoping it would settle down, and it did initially, but then he wasn’t responding to treatment, so he went for a scan. We got the results back at the end of last week, and now he’s set to be out for the next few weeks at least.”
It’s certainly a huge blow to lose the 24-year-old for a prolonged period. He had an explosive start to his Blackpool career, netting eight goals in his first 21 matches in the 2021/22 campaign. That earned him a call-up for Northern Ireland, although last season, he struggled to replicate his form under Michael Appleton.
This campaign, he bagged a brace on the opening day and had just stumbled back into form – he hit three in four before his injury, including a fifth-minute opener against Andy Woodman’s non-league side in the FA Cup First Round.
A former Everton younger, Lavery has three goals for his country from 19 appearances but was not selected for the Scandanavia double-header this weekend against Finland and Denmark.
Writer’s View
Lavery and, of course, Joseph have been notable absentees at times for Neil Critchley’s men this season, but Jordan Rhodes’ arrival certainly helped mask that. However, Lavery’s absence just depletes the depth available to the Tangerines’ boss at a crucial time for the team.
Progress in the BSM Trophy and the FA Cup means fixtures will be coming thick and fast, and there’s plenty of opportunity for squad rotation. With Lavery injured, it places extra emphasis on those fit players to turn in minutes on Tuesday and Saturday on heavy pitches.
Of course, they’ll miss him from the first XI as he’s a talent, but the wider squad always get called upon in this late autumn period, and that could be detrimental to their push towards a play-off spot.
