Plymouth Argyle have lost the services of Joe Ralls due to injury, with the midfielder out for the remainder of the campaign.
The Pilgrims signed the 32-year-old as a free agent in November, following his exit from Cardiff City after their relegation from the Championship.
He featured in 10 League One matches for Plymouth, starting eight, but was taken out of action less than 10 minutes into their match against Luton Town last month.
Injury Fears Confirmed
Speaking to the press, Argyle boss Tom Cleverley confirmed that Ralls would play no further part in their campaign, which has taken a brighter turn with the Devon side now five points clear of the relegation zone. (Quotes via BBC Sport):
“The injury Joe suffered was right on the borderline of conservative rehab and surgical rehab.
“Because it was right on the borderline we wanted more than one opinion on that and that process has taken a little bit of time.
“Now we’ve come to the conclusion that Joe will go for surgery and unfortunately it looks like he’s played his last game this season for the club.
“We obviously appreciate what Joe did for us in a short period of time and unfortunately that looks to be that for this season.
“He needs to get this rehab right now for the longevity of his career, and the best way to ensure that is the surgical route.
“We’ll be here every step of the way from him and we’ll see what the summer brings.”
Argyle still enter their next game with some depth in midfield, with Bradley Ibrahim expected to return to face Blackpool and play his first minutes since November.
Where Do Plymouth Go From Here?
After a brilliant start to his time at Plymouth Argyle, helping reverse their fortunes after a torrid start to the campaign which saw them flirt with relegation and Tom Cleverley reach the brink of losing his job, Joe Ralls will play no further part in the season.
It is a real shame for the 32-year-old, who looked to have been growing into his role and becoming a reassuring, more balanced figure than some of his teammates in the position.
His presence has arguably been missed since succumbing to his injury against Luton Town, with that game and the following loss to Lincoln City seeing the club slump.
While his future beyond this campaign is in doubt, it would be a fairly wise move to bring the 32-year-old back for another year with his wealth of experience and help Argyle grow under Cleverley in League One.