Bolton Wanderers midfielder Lloyd Isgrove has opted not to have surgery on his damaged hamstring - however he will still be out of action for three to four months whilst he undergoes other treatment.
It has been a difficult campaign for the 29-year-old, who played 32 times for the Trotters last season in their promotion-winning campaign from League Two.
After featuring 18 times in League One earlier in the campaign, Isgrove tore his hamstring in the first half of a 3-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers back in November.
Having undergone surgery shortly after to correct the problem, Isgrove broke down again with the same issue when he was on the recovery trail.
Because of the operation not working the first time, Isgrove is set to undergo a different course of treatment which will not see him go under the knife, but instead a course of injections will be administered to help heal the problem.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt doesn't expect the wide player to be back until pre-season though or potentially the start of the 2022-23 campaign despite the lack of an operation this time around.
“We are going to rehabilitate it cautiously and without surgery,” Evatt said, per the Bolton News.
“I think Lloyd has lost a bit of confidence with the surgical route after what has happened and I can’t disagree with that opinion to be honest.”
“It doesn’t change things really for him (his recovery time).
"He is having some PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections which will help strengthen the area and then we will rehabilitate it naturally with gym work and see how we get on, but he is a strong character and I have no doubts he’ll be fine.”
The Verdict
Isgrove was playing regularly for Bolton before his initial injury, whether that was at right-back or on the wing, but it's now been nearly five months since he's seen the pitch.
His latest setback will be a real confidence knocker and considering he should be in his peak years now at 29, it will be hurting Isgrove to be out of action for so long.
He can still be an important player next season though, but with the way Bolton will probably improve their squad he may have to settle for being a squad rotation player.
The worst case scenario though is that the hamstring issues become recurring and his next few years become a struggle when it comes to game-time - but no-one wants to see that happen at all.