Only this past weekend, Blackpool was dealt yet another blow in the form of an injury when striker Kyle Joseph was declared fit.
Joseph was back in the mix for the last ten minutes of their 1-0 loss to promotion rivals Bolton Wanderers, as the Blackpool Gazette reported, following a protracted period of time off the pitch.
But one door opens, another closes, and it appears that Joseph’s comeback coincides with an injury setback suffered by another player. After joining from Linfield in 2021, Shayne Lavery missed some time due to a hamstring injury early in the campaign. He is now expected to spend a second spell on the injured list following his removal from the Blackpool FA Cup victory.
Neil Critchley, the manager of Blackpool, stated of Lavery’s condition prior to this weekend’s matchup with Shrewsbury Town, “He’s unfortunately out.”
He had to pull off against Bromley due to a hamstring strain. We were hoping it would go away, and at first it did. However, when the treatment wasn’t working, he had a scan. He will now be sidelined for at least the next few weeks, according to the results that we received at the end of last week.
Long-term loss of the 24-year-old is undoubtedly devastating. In his first 21 games of the 2021–2022 season, he scored eight goals, setting off an explosive start to his Blackpool career. Because of that, he was called up to the Northern Ireland team. However, under Michael Appleton, he had trouble maintaining his form the previous season.
He had just begun to find his form this season, having scored three goals in four prior to his injury, including the game-winning goal in the fifth minute against Andy Woodman’s non-league team in the FA Cup First Round. He had bagged a brace on opening day.
Lavery, a former Everton player, has made 19 appearances for his nation and has three goals, but he was left off of the roster for this weekend’s Scandanavia doubleheader against Finland and Denmark.
Writer’s Opinion
This season, Lavery and Joseph have been notable absences for Neil Critchley’s team at times; however, Jordan Rhodes’ arrival has certainly helped to hide that. But Lavery’s absence only reduces the depth that the Tangerines’ manager has at a critical juncture for the team.
With the BSM Trophy and FA Cup progressing, there will be a lot of opportunities for squad rotation as games will be played frequently. Lavery’s injury puts more pressure on the players who are healthy to play on heavy pitches on Tuesday and Saturday.
Of course, they will miss him in the starting lineup because he is a talented player, but their chances of making the playoffs may suffer as a result of the wider squad being called upon more frequently during this late autumn period.
