Town boss Kieran McKenna says striker George Hirst has suffered “a significant hamstring injury” which is “not a very short-term” problem ,but is currently unable to give a precise timescale for his return.

Hirst limped off in the first half of Boxing Day’s 1-1 home draw with his former club Leicester having overstretched as he sought to reach a pass.

“It’s still being assessed, it’s a significant injury to his hamstring,” McKenna said when asked about the injury. “He’s had some scans and he’ll be seeing a specialist to get further clarification on what timescale we’re looking at.

“It’s hard to give too clear an indication [at the moment], it’s not a very short-term injury, we can say that clearly but not beyond that. We should be able to put a timescale on that by next week, he has a specialist appointment early next week and we should be able to give a clear timescale.”

McKenna admits the absence of the striker, who signed permanently in the summer following a loan in the second half of last season, is a significant loss.

“It is, it’s a big blow,” he said. “He’s been very, very important to how we play. He’s developed a lot over the last 12 months and it’s not easy to step into those shoes, but we have strikers here who have done well for us and have been training well and preparing for opportunities when they’ve come and done well in cup competitions.

“We have forwards in the building and, of course, we’re pretty close to a transfer window where we’ll try and add to the squad as well.

“We have some good solutions internally and it’s a window in which teams will all look to improve their squads externally as well.”

With Dane Scarlett having been recalled to parent club Spurs, McKenna was asked whether adding strikers is now his priority once the January transfer window opens.

“There are a few positions we’d like to add in and the forward area is one of them,” he said. “I think always in the second half of the season, every team wants to add goals and goalscorers in the different guises they come in.

“We managed to do that last January and we’d like to add some more goals to the squad again in this window.

“But having said that, we’ve got goals in the building, we’re the top scorers in the league, we’ve shared goals around the pitch, we’ve scored goals from different phases of the game and that’s something that we’ll, of course, look to do independent of who is playing in the central striker role on that day.

“We’re going to look to add more quality and more options in forward area, but probably every team in the Championship is, to be honest, and every team in every league is going want to add more of that in January.

“We’re not alone on that, it’s a challenging window, you can never be sure on availability right until the last day of December as well. You might think that something’s close but availability can change because at this stage of the season a lot of the players you’re looking at are with other teams.

“It’s an important window coming up, but for now, my full 100 per cent focus is on QPR tomorrow night and after that it will turn 100 per cent on Stoke and then after that we don’t have a league game, we’ve got the break with the FA Cup, so that will be the time when I can turn my attention a little bit more [to that].”

Photo: Matchday Images

ArnieM added 14:50 - Dec 28 Bollox : just what we didn’t want. This could be a long haul rehab if it’s a significant grade tear. Coming back in wouldn’t have helped either!
1

Bluearmy_81 added 14:52 - Dec 28 We are now seriously lacking up front. KJ is not good enough for top Championship level imho and Freddie though better will still need serious competition. 2 strikers in please, the timing and quality of which will determine if we make top 2 (again imho)
7

earlsgreenblue added 14:53 - Dec 28 Be good to see GH back as we will miss him for sure, but, another New Years window like the last will do please. Upgrade 2 or 3 positions & a platform for a real big push.
2

Saxonblue74 added 15:07 - Dec 28 A blow for sure, but another opportunity for Ladapo and Jackson. Nobody has let us down when asked to step up and do a job.
3

Davidwb20 added 15:09 - Dec 28 This is just what I feared! Hirsty will be missed, especially for his unselfish work off the ball. Will now need two top quality strikers to see us through.
2

Bazza8564 added 15:21 - Dec 28 No mention of Freddie by name and with his limited appearances of late i sense hes on the way out, so realistically we have to expect 2 CF and a number ten to replace Dane. I just can't see the investors wanting to lose out on a superb first half to the season, so expect a lot of traffic in January, probably as many as 4/5
1

DinDjarin added 15:21 - Dec 28 All came about from a hit 10 yard pass from Wolfie which he had to stretch for
-4

ArnieM added 15:25 - Dec 28 I was told Ladapo is definitely leaving . On loan I was told. We shall see. I suspect the two players whose discussions with us snd are s good way fine the road may be at least a striker. Here’s hoping
-1

ArnieM added 15:26 - Dec 28 Hirst seemed to slip as he went for that innocuous pass , and his leg went into an uncontrolled extension . I personally think they over water the pitch . You often see players slipping on the surface.
7

Saxonblue74 added 15:28 - Dec 28 Christian Walton was one of our promotion heroes last season and it was seen as potential disaster when he suffered an injury at the start of this season.......just saying!
9

blues1 added 15:31 - Dec 28 Arniem. Dont think him taking just 2 or 3,steps,back onto the pitch would have had any negative impact on the injury. Would have been worse had he managed to carry on playing for any amount of time and then broken down tho.
2

tractorboybig added 15:32 - Dec 28 disaster///promotion over unless significant replcement..freddie out of his class and jackson has not delivered
-6

BobbyBell added 15:50 - Dec 28 This is a major blow but I'm sure KM and MA will have considered long term injuries and I would expect to see a quality front man come in on loan along with a new permanent striker or two. I trust our club to deal with this in a very business like way.
1

Hatman2 added 15:51 - Dec 28 GH so instrumental to how we play. Huge loss. Jay Standfield and Armad Diallo a.s.a.p. for me please (even if both on loan) and maybe another attacking option too
0

December1963 added 15:52 - Dec 28 Possibly a striker coming from the USA who was born elsewhere?
0

jollyroger added 16:01 - Dec 28 Think it will be 2 strikers in ,one new signing and one loan
0

jas0999 added 16:11 - Dec 28 I feel sorry for him. Hope he gets better and ready to play again soon. Suspect two new strikers will be signed in January now.
0

Suffolkboy added 16:16 - Dec 28 Whatever ; KM and M A won’t be totally phased . ITFC are now a Club/ Business who prepare and plan and the steady committed hands on deck will surely guide us through this squall ! Nobody truly expected us to be realistically challenging for promotion this season ; unexpectedly we are ,but it wouldn’t be the end if next season proved the ONE ! Good luck , Happy New Year and best wishes to all ai ITFC ! COYB

0

gosblue added 16:41 - Dec 28 I hadn’t realised until I’d watched the full match back, Freddie did some very hard pressing when he came on. If he could do that regularly, there may be a place for him here. GH will be a welcome boost in the run-in towards the end of the season.
0

ArnieM added 16:56 - Dec 28 Blues1 : I thought he tried to jog back onto the pitch … finishing the job off so to speak. Blooming shame as reckon he’ll be out for a couple of months now.
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terryf added 17:30 - Dec 28 Two good results against QPR and Stoke and some early recruits in January and we'll all be smiley faces again!! Sadly injuries are part and parcel of our wonderful game. What a marvellous first half of the season though, exciting football, loads of goals and 53 points (so far).
0

Bert added 17:37 - Dec 28 We have been fortunate up until now with injuries but Hirst’s height, positioning and lay offs will be missed. That said we score goals from all positions and, who knows, Ladapo and Jackson may surprise us all. Ladapo scored plenty last season and Jackson has ability. The latter needs a better touch and finish. Morsy’s commitment to club over country is a huge relief.
2

pennblue added 17:41 - Dec 28 Lets go get Sinclair Armstrong from QPR as one of the options.
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VanDusen added 18:15 - Dec 28 Absolutely Pennblue - Armstrong looked excellent at Loftus Road. Wouldn't rule Ladapo or Jackson out yet. It's a chance to shine and here's hoping one or both do a Hladky who I would have let go in the summer and happy to be eating some very humble pie after he has been outstanding the past few months...
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littlestoneblue added 18:19 - Dec 28 I'm with Arnie M regarding the over-watering of the pitch like just before the 2nd half. It's Bloody watering again, this is a bad practice and can cause some serious leg injuries they need to stop this ASAP as it's not required, now regarding Hirst replacement and Morsy I don't think Jackson is the answer Freddie is the better option for now but Sony Aluko could be the answer along with Broadhead bring in Humphreys in midfield as I like this lad he's got class and won't let the side down, Taylor seems to disappear during the game I want to see Williams at RB as Clarke leaves the left flank with far too much space for the opposing forward to work in, also will Axel Tuanzebe put in along with Wolfie as Burgess is off to Aussie very soon, I think we can just about manage until the window opens and we just might see the likes of Jay Stansfield Fulham or Kaide Gordon of Liverpool both spot on Strikers I'm sure Kiearan has irons in the fire regarding incoming players

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