Josh Dacres-Cogley will miss Stockport County‘s matches against AFC Wimbledon and Exeter City after another injury blow in their EFL Trophy final loss.
The January signing missed the trip to Wembley due to his ineligibility after playing for Bolton Wanderers in the competition, with County’s defensive worries deepening during the game after an injury to key centre-back Joseph Olowu just after the hour mark.
Their absences led to Hatters manager Dave Challinor improvising in his backline for the remainder of the match against Luton Town, with leading goalscorer Kyle Wootton partnering Ethan Pye.
Olowu And Dacres-Cogley Issues Arise
Speaking after the final, Dave Challinor revealed that Dacres-Cogley would miss out on the next week of action, meaning he would miss the games against two relegation-threatened sides in AFC Wimbledon and Exeter City.
Prior to the final, the 50-year-old said that the right-wing-back would undergo scans to assess his current fitness level, having played eight straight 90-minute matches before the Bolton match last weekend.
He said in the aftermath at Wembley (Quotes via Sam Byrne):
“(He is) not out for the season, but certainly out this week, then we’ll see.
“(On Kyle Wootton at centre-back) “Obviously not ideal. If we’re going to achieve what we want, that’s a clear sign that everyone is going to have to do a job. Wootts is the most selfless player I’ve worked with in terms of doing jobs for the team.
“(He) showed how easy it is to be a centre-half, put some defenders to shame”
Byrne also stated that Joseph Olowu left Wembley using crutches and a knee brace, with Challinor still waiting to find out more about the damage to the 26-year-old.
County Prompted Into Action
Stockport have since been forced into recalling defender Christie Grogan for the remainder of their season, with the club confirming the decision on Monday in a statement.
The 20-year-old was out on loan with National League side Aldershot Town, having played 17 times since his move in December with the club already safe from relegation down to the sixth tier.
County’s Season Derailing
Yesterday was probably one of the toughest days that Stockport County have faced in their recent ascendency under Dave Challinor, with a chance to claim a trophy which has eluded them in the past once again slipping away.
However, the knock-on effects after this loss may threaten to derail the club’s bid to reach the Championship with Joseph Olowu now on the sidelines for an unknown amount of time, but based on the condition he left Wembley in, it would not be a shock to see a lengthy absence.
Combining that loss with absences for Josh Dacres-Cogley and Brad Hills, the defensive numbers for the Hatters in the remainder of the season are extremely light, and Kyle Wootton may once again be forced to play at the back.
While County have the upper hand on the rest of the playoff-chasing pack thanks to their games in hand, their lack of options may become a hindrance in a hectic six-game schedule between now and the end of the month.
Stockport should be able to finish off the job and finish inside the top six, but the additional strain of two legs in quick succession could spell disaster for their bid to reach the second tier for the first time in a quarter of a century.
