Chesterfield dealt devastating blow as top goalscorer Kabongo Tshimanga suffers fractured leg and dislocated ankle

The 24-year-old is set to have an operation tomorrow.

The striker, who is the National League’s top scorer with 25 goals, was stretchered off and taken to hospital towards the end of Saturday’s match at Weymouth following a tackle by defender Haji Mnoga, which went unpunished.

Providing an update to 1866 Sport on Wednesday, assistant manager Danny Webb, who has just signed a new contract with the club, said: “It was a fracture of his leg and a dislocation of the ankle, which could therefore mean ligament damage, they won’t know until they operate.

"He is pencilled in to go for an operation tomorrow (Thursday).

"It is a big injury. It just shows the weight of the tackle that went in on him.

"When he stays down you get that gut-wrenching feeling that it could be quite serious, which sadly it is.

"It is done now, what is important is we all support Kabs and make sure that he is ready for whenever he comes back. If it is the end of the season, if it is pre-season next year, we are still going to have a hell of a player playing for us."

Asked if there is a timescale on when he could return, Webb replied: "Not at the moment. We will know more after the operation. I think we all know it is not going to be in the near future.

"Everyone recovers differently to operations, he is so robust and fit so hopefully that puts him in good stead for the recovery after the operation. We just hope the operation goes well and then we can find out more off the surgeons tomorrow.”

Webb added that despite the news Tshimanga is in ‘good spirits.’

“The coach was very quiet on the way back,” he said. “He is just not a very good player, he is a good person, there is no one in that team that does not like him.

"Mentally he is okay, he is as positive as he can be."

On his new contract extension, Webb added: “I am ever so pleased.

“It is nice to have that clarity about my future going forward.

“To work under a manager as experienced and as successful and as loved here as Paul Cook, what a privilege that is for me.

"It is a club and a place that I have fallen in love with.”

The Spireites are back in action this Saturday against Solihull Moors in Cook’s first home match since being appointed manager last week.