Lester may bring in experience as injured stalwarts get bad news

Skipper Ian Evatt will need surgery on a knee problem and fellow centre-half Sam Hird has been ruled out for around three months after injuring his thigh at Coventry on Monday.

Lester, who signed Millwall defender Sid Nelson earlier todaym can scarcely believe his bad luck.

“Evo will go down for an operation, that’s a long term one, months.

“Sam has had a thigh problem, his scan says 10 to 12 weeks.

“You couldn’t believe it really, the amount of problems we’ve had at the back.

“They’re things you can’t really predict, it’s forced our hand to move quickly with Sid.”

The Spireites manager is pleased to have landed Nelson for the rest of the season.

He was previously on loan with Yeovil during the 2017/18 campaign, playing against Town at the Proact.

The 22-year-old comes highly recommended.

“Sid is a very aggressive centre-half. I’ve played with Neil Harris and he comes really highly regarded there.

“He’s under contract there and they think big things of him.

“He’s an organiser, he’s got energy and he’s a leader.”

But Lester admits he may still add someone with more experience to the back four.

“Yeah possibly.

“Obviously your plans change because we had Hirdy and Evo, both doing well, both playing in the middle of that good run we had.

“Then they both get injured long term, so of course things change.

“Luckily it came in December and not February.”