Chesterfield's on-loan Everton midfielder confirms lengthy injury timescale

The midfielder has suffered a foot injury and he has revealed on social media that he won’t be back until the new year.

The 20-year-old is on a season-long loan from Everton and has had regular game-time for the Spireites. He has started the last four league games but missed last Saturday’s match against Accrington Stanley.

His injury is a blow for Town because he had struck up a promising partnership with Darren Oldaker in central midfield and was named man of the match against Horsham in the FA Cup.

His absence comes with John Fleck having been forced off with a hamstring problem in the midweek EFL Trophy win against Grimsby Town, with Mike Jones’ ongoing heel issue and with Oldaker one yellow card away from a one-match suspension, which means numbers are becoming light in that area of the pitch. The Blues still have Ollie Banks, who performed strongly on Tuesday night, and there is still the option of moving Tom Naylor further forward.

Next opponents Harrogate Town have been dealt an injury blow of their own, having lost Ellis Taylor. The midfielder has been a key man for the Yorkshire club, starting every league, and manager Simon Weaver is gutted at the news.

He said: "It's a blow, Ellis has been in the top three players for us every single week and every day in training, we'll really miss him, but it's up to someone else to prove their worth now."