Good news and bad...the injury updates from the Proact

The good news is that a couple of defenders returned to the training pitch today and a veteran may well play again this season.

Jack Lester was delighted to get an important duo back today in the form of Drew Talbot and Sid Nelson and hopes they’ll be joined by another pair before too long.

Left-back George Smith, signed in the transfer window, is closing in on a return to full training.

Talismanic centre-half Ian Evatt could also make a surprise comeback this season.

“Drew Talbot started training today, Sid Nelson trained today, we’ll see how he is and if he has a reaction to it,” said the manager.

“George Smith is on his way back, Ian Evatt is probably six weeks away.

“We’ve got players coming back who will give us that competition for places.

“What we don’t want is to be losing them at the same time.

“We just have to manage it.”

The bad news is that Giles Coke did not come through his Tuesday debut against Cambridge United unscathed.

In his first competitive game for two years, the ex Sheffield Wednesday man pulled up on 83 minutes.

“He’s injured now, he’s got a bit of a hamstring so he’ll be a few weeks out,” said Lester.

“He’s never had a hamstring injury in his career, it’s one of those things.

“It might only be a couple of weeks, it’s not a bad one.”

And in a further blow, one of the wingers Lester brought in last month will be missing for at least a month.

“It looks like Dylan Mottley-Henry needs a hernia operation.

“He’s not quite been himself, he’s not had that burst of pace.

“That’ll be a four to six week job.

“He’s been told he needs the operation so hopefully he gets it as soon as possible.”