Preston North End are set to be without striker Callum Robinson for up to three months, after he limped off in the second half of their 4-1 win against Blackburn Rovers this weekend.

Robinson had earlier netted his tenth goal of the season, setting Preston on course for a fine victory over their local rivals, but manager Alex Neill has now revealed they'll be without their talisman for a while.

“He is going to be out for a minimum of three months" Neill said via the club's official Twitter feed. "We will get an opinion on that this week as to whether he will need surgery. It’s really bad news for everyone connected with the club, he has been out talisman this year.”

The 23-year old is a former Aston Villa trainee who represented England though to Under 20 level. He then switched to the Republic of Ireland, where he's since earned four caps.

Neill said that the player was 'gutted' to be on the treatment table.

"It’s the first real injury of his career. He’s naturally gutted and we are gutted for him, he is having the season on his life."

He's been with Preston for three seasons, joining after a successful loan spell, but this campaign he has become integral to their method. He already has nine Championship goals, with his previous best for a whole season being ten, in 2016/17.

The Verdict

This is a big blow for Preston, especially coming off the back of their fine victory against Blackburn. It will doubtless make it a bittersweet win, with Robinson's boots big ones to fill right now.

They'll be hoping for good news in terms of surgery, with the 23-year old not only becoming vital to their progress, but also accruing value with every goal he scores.