Charlton attacker Jonathan Leko has issued his response to the news that he has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Leko suffered the injury last weekend as he was forced off in the 11th minute of the Addicks' 2-2 draw with QPR, and manager Lee Bowyer has now confirmed that the West Brom loanee will not feature again this campaign.
The 20-year-old made 21 appearances since arriving at The Valley on a season-long loan deal for the Baggies, and he has played in a variety of positions in recent weeks as a result of Charlton's significant injury crisis.
The mood at the club will have been somewhat lifted following Charlton's 3-2 win over Bristol City on Boxing Day, with this being their first success in 11 matches, but Leko's blow will have now added to Bowyer's injury concerns.
After receiving the bad news, Leko
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Leko scored five goals during his 21 appearances in a Charlton shirt, but he will now return to West Brom in order to receive treatment on his injury, while Bowyer has now confirmed that the Addicks will seek a replacement for him.
The Verdict
Leko had delivered a number of bright performances since arriving at Charlton over the summer, while his presence in the squad would have been valued by Bowyer during the club's recent injury crisis.
This means it will come as a huge blow that he will no longer feature for the Addicks this season, particularly given that he was showing some promising signs of further development following his prolonged run in the side.
It now seems likely that Bowyer will delve back into the loan market in January in order to source a replacement for Leko, while he may also need to strengthen other areas of the squad heading into the second half of the season.