DAVID Wheater faces six weeks on the sidelines after limping out of yesterday’s 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

The defender has been one of the more consistent members of Neil Lennon’s squad this season but damaged his hamstring in the second half at the City Ground and could now be out of commission until March.

Wheater has had a chequered fitness history at Wanderers but had strung together 18 consecutive starts – his best return since signing from Middlesbrough in 2011.

Neil Lennon confirmed the injury on Saturday evening but said he did not regret keeping the centre-half in the side for such an extended spell.

“It’s a blow for us with David having done his hamstring but he has been playing consistently well and when someone has been playing consistently well, you keep going with him.”