Stevenage have received yet another injury headache with Charlie Goode the latest name to be confined to the physio’s bench.
The centre-back went down during Boro’s League One encounter with Exeter City and limped off the pitch just before the break. The club has since confirmed that Goode will be out until at least the new year after a break to his fibula.
He joins fellow defensive partner Dan Sweeney in being unavailable until 2025 after he was forced off against Lincoln City a few weeks ago. Jake Forster-Caskey is also out of action in the long term, having last played against Carlisle United in late March.
Goode joined Alex Revell’s side this summer on a free transfer after leaving Brentford, registering just 20 appearances for the club since joining in 2020 from Northampton Town. Successive loan spells have covered his career from January 2022 onwards, playing for Sheffield United, Blackpool and most recently Wigan Athletic.
Injuries has plagued him in recent years, with his time at Bloomfield Road curtailed after three matches with a hamstring injury. Whilst at The Blades, a knee cartilage problem kept him out of the remainder of United’s season and carried on into the first half of the following campaign.
The 29-year-old has played six times so far in Hertfordshire, scoring in the club’s narrow EFL Cup loss to Norwich City. This latest setback to the defence leaves Carl Piergianni, Lewis Freestone and Nathan Thompson as Revell’s only senior natural choices in the middle of the pitch, with Luther Wildin able to cover from right-back.
Stevenage travel north to Wigan tonight, looking to build some consistency in their season after claiming seven points from six matches. Their upcoming fixture list pits them up against three top 10 third-tier sides in Charlton Athletic, Wrexham and a doubleheader against Peterborough United in league and EFL Trophy action.
Writer’s View
Injuries have been tough on Stevenage so far this year, losing many of their key players in the process. Whilst some of those are coming to the end of their spells on the sidelines, such as Taye Ahby-Hammond and Jamie Reid, losing two of their centre-backs in the space of a month is a tough blow to take. Another injury to another defender would surely see Alex Revell explore the free-agent market for a short-term fix until Charlie Goode, Dan Sweeney or another returns to full fitness.
Stevenage have done well since the 41-year-old returned to the hot seat at the Lamex. Seeing their play-off hopes crushed in the final weeks of the season amidst the departure of Steve Evans to Rotherham United, Boro have held their own in a division which has become a much tougher league. Whilst not a perfect start, the club have done well to navigate it with a big win over Barnsley amongst some decent performances. The fixture list does ramp up in the next month or so and will be a real sign of if the club can match last season’s performance.
