Stags' Coke choker
26 Jan 2007 - 12:45:46
Mansfield Town manager Billy Dearden hopes to sign a new central midfielder before the close of the transfer window next Wednesday after it was confirmed that Giles Coke will miss the rest of the season.
The 20-year-old has been ruled out for five months after a routine knee operation revealed the severity of the problem.
It had initially been hoped that Coke would return to full fitness by the end of February, but Dearden now has only Callum Lloyd, Stephen Dawson and Jonathon D'Laryea as his midfield options.
"The season is finished for the poor lad and I feel sorry for him," said Dearden.
"It's dreadful news for the kid and bad news for the team as I thought he'd been playing very well.
"It was supposed to be a bit of a clean up, but once they got in there the damage to the cartilage was a lot worse than they thought."