AMADOU Bakayoko has been cleared of serious injury after being rushed to hospital for scans on his knee.
The striker turned awkwardly in a session at Lostock on Friday, prompting concern that he could miss the start of the season.
He watched from the side-lines during the 1-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic but Ian Evatt has now confirmed that the injury is not as serious as first thought.
“It looked quite a nasty one initially yesterday in training and we were fearing the worst,” he said. “But we’ve had the news that it’s basically just a grade one medial ligament sprain in his knee.
“It’s not a big thing at all and it’ll probably be a week to two weeks maximum. Fortunately for us, that went our way.”
Bakayoko’s absence could mean a change in schedule for Evatt’s attackers, who until now have shared out the first team game-time evenly.
Connor Stanley was drafted up from the B Team, who had played against Wanderers’ youth team in a training game the same morning, winning by two goals to nil.
“Young Connor stepped up from the B team and he’s a really bright prospect,” Evatt said. “But he isn’t a nine, he’s more of a 10 or a wide player, but I thought he did really well and he’s really impressed in pre-season, as have quite a few of the B team members actually.
“We’re in a good place and it changes things slightly for us in terms of managing minutes, but the season’s getting really close now and we have to make sure we’re ready to play 90 minutes and I think our forwards are more or less there now.”
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