Newport County have been rocked with an injury setback, following news that defender James Clarke will miss the remainder of the season through injury.
The 35-year-old was substituted during the first half of Newport’s goalless draw against promotion-chasing Walsall on Easter Monday and isn’t expected to return before the clubs final match of the campaign against Tranmere Rovers.
Clarke blow for Newport
As reported via BBC Sport, Newport’s James Clarke is unlikely to feature again this season after being substituted with a groin injury during the closing stages of the first half.
The news will come as a significant blow for the Welsh outfit, especially considering Clarke has been a vital member of the squad even despite the club undergoing another difficult campaign, with boss Nelson Jardim also coming under fire.
Clarke will miss Newport’s remaining matches of the season against Fleetwood Town and Tranmere Rovers, leaving the Welsh side open to experiment with a replacement in the final run-in.
Speaking on Clarke, Jardim stated…
“Clarkey, he’s been great, he’s been playing a lot of games. We haven’t been able to properly rotate the team as we wish because he brings that experience to the backline that we lacked for part of the season.
“We knew with two games within four days was not going to be easy, he had to come off in the last game as well because he had cramp.
“We felt that was the right decision to take, and it proved to be right but with the cost of losing him, probably for the rest of the season which is two games now.”
Although the word ‘probably’ suggests that Clarke may return, the short time frame makes it extremely unlikely for him to feature again this season.
How important has he been this season?
Despite his age, Clarke has remained a vital part of the Newport defence so far this season, captaining the side along the way.
Across all competitions, the 35-year-old has featured 26 times for Newport County, contributing to three goals including a goal against Harrogate Town.
Martin also remains a concern
Aside from the injury to James Clarke, winger Josh Martin was also substituted after colliding with Walsall goalkeeper Tommy Simkin in a serious head injury at the end of the game.
Though no time frame has been revealed by Jardim, he does go on to admit that they ‘have to look after the player’ as it was a ‘serious’ collision.
With the short turnaround in matches, Martin will almost certainly miss the clash against Fleetwood Town but may return in time to face Tranmere on the final day.
Newport fans, thoughts on this news?