Ian Burchnall has confirmed that Cal Roberts will miss the remainder of the season.
The winger has a had a torrid time with an ongoing hip flexor issue and suffered a setback at Hartlepool last Saturday, having to leave the field shortly after his introduction.
And, while the club are confident that Roberts will go on to make a full recovery, Burchnall isn't expecting to have him at his disposal before the end of the campaign.
"We're going to have to use this time to rehab him to ensure we don't get this recurring issue next season," said the head coach.
"We're disappointed but, at the same time, we've got to have a longer-term approach. The scan shows he needs to rest and get treatment until pre-season.
"We're all in agreement that there are no short-term solutions so we've got to work hard to get it right for next season."