Another Chesterfield player ruled out for the season

The Spireites have already received two hammer blows after finding out Will Grigg and Tom Pearce will probably not play again this campaign after being ruled out with hamstring and knee injuries respectively.

And now the Blues are also likely to have to go without striker Freddie Ladapo for the remainder of the campaign because of a calf problem. Ladapo signed in January after impressing on trial as a free agent. The 33-year-old has since made seven appearances, making just one start. He is yet to register his first goal.

The forward has not featured since a 1-0 win against Gillingham in the middle of February, missing the last seven games. It was initially explained that he had been left out for selection-based reasons but it later emerged that he had a calf injury.

Ladapo is said to have been working hard to get back to full fitness but he was sent for more tests after struggling to fully overcome the issue and now he is likely to be out for the rest of the normal season but has a slim chance of returning if Chesterfield are involved in the play-offs.

His absence, along with Grigg, leaves Chesterfield short of striker options. Lee Bonis has been playing with a swollen ankle but the current extended break should help with that. That leaves just young Will Dickson, who led the line and scored in the victory against Accrington Stanley last Saturday, but he has mainly been used out wide or as a number 10 this season.

"We’ve had bad news on Freddie,” Kieron Dyer told 1866 Sport. “Freddie will probably miss the majority of the season. If we make the play-offs, we might see Freddie.”

Chesterfield are not in action this weekend after their game against Grimsby Town was postponed due to international call-ups in the Mariners’ camp. The Spireites return to action on Good Friday at home to Cheltenham Town.