Birmingham City manager Lee Bowyer has revealed that Gary Gardner suffered an ankle injury during yesterday's clash with Plymouth Argyle.
The midfielder was substituted during extra-time as the Blues were eliminated from the FA Cup by the Pilgrims at St Andrew's.
Birmingham would have been hoping to deliver a positive response to their recent defeats to Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers in this particular fixture.
However, Bowyer's side failed to step up to the mark in-front of their supporters.
After being booked in the 58th minute, George Friend was given his marching orders by referee Rebecca Welch for a foul on Niall Ennis.
Although Birmingham demonstrated some resilience to take the game to extra-time, Plymouth netted what turned out to be the winning goal in the 104th minute as Ryan Law fired past goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The Blues will be looking to bounce back from this defeat when they face Preston North End next weekend. Following his side's latest display, Bowyer shared an update on Gardner's injury.
Speaking to the Birmingham Mail about the midfielder, Bowyer said: "Gary Gardner took two whacks on his ankle and it's all swollen so he had to come off.
"He took two, both in the same area, so it's really swollen. He will struggle a little bit I think."
The Verdict
This is a concerning update for Birmingham as they would have been hoping to call upon the services of Gardner during their upcoming clash with Preston.
However, the midfielder is now a doubt for this fixture after sustaining an ankle issue against Plymouth.
When Gardner is fit enough to make his return to action, he will need to improve his consistency in the Championship as he is currently averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.54 at this level.
The midfielder's game-time this season has been limited by the fact that he has been shown two red cards in the second-tier.
If the 29-year-old is unavailable for selection next weekend, Bowyer may need to turn to the likes of Ivan Sunjic, Ryan Woods and Jordan James for inspiration at Deepdale.