Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer has confirmed that midfielder Beram Kayal will be ruled out for "a couple of weeks" after suffering a fresh injury.

Kayal joined the Addicks on a season-long loan from Premier League side Brighton over the summer, but he has been limited to just 12 minutes of Championship action so far due to his fitness troubles.

The 31-year-old made a substitute appearance against Birmingham City earlier this month, but he has not featured in any other of Bowyer's match-day squads since his arrival at The Valley on transfer deadline day in August.

Speaking via the Charlton Twitter account, ahead of Saturday's clash with Leeds, Bowyer has now admitted that the Israel international will not be available for another couple of weeks after suffering a set-back in his recovery from a groin injury.

He said: “Beram Kayal will be out for a couple of weeks. He went for a scan and he’s had a bit of inflammation in his groin, so he’s had to have an injection."

Kayal spent four and a half seasons at Brighton before making the loan switch to join Bowyer's side, and he was one of several loanees to arrive on deadline day alongside Josh Cullen, Sam Field and Jonathan Leko.

The Verdict

This is another blow for both Charlton and Kayal as the midfielder is yet to really show the Addicks' faithful what he can do following his loan switch to join the London side.

Kayal arrived at The Valley with high pedigree and he is certainly capable of providing a strong presence at the heart of Bowyer's side's midfield if he can build his fitness, but this has not been the case so far.

Bowyer is lucky in that he does have a wealth of midfield options to choose from already, so Kayal's absence from the side has not yet created any significant selection issues.

However, I'm sure the Addicks' boss will be itching to get Kayal more involved with the side, as the experienced midfielder could  boost Charlton's midfield with his composure and energy.