Exeter City are awaiting the results of a scan after Sunderland loanee Timur Tutierov suffered a hamstring injury during the warm-up ahead of the Grecians’ defeat against Burton Albion.
The 20-year-old forward had been expected to feature but was withdrawn before kick-off after feeling discomfort late in the week. He’s now a doubt for their clash with league leaders Lincoln City tomorrow.
Exeter boss Matt Taylor confirmed the issue during his pre-match press conference, explaining the club would assess the extent of the injury once the scan results are available.
“He’ll have a scan,” said Taylor. “Yeah, felt his hamstring back end of the week. It’s an example of a young player with a lot of load going through his body for the first time in his career. Different pitches, different surfaces, different opposition, different asks of him physically and mentally.”
“So he’ll have a scan. We’ll assess that. It didn’t seem too bad at the time but it was bad enough for him to be taken out of the match day squad.”
While Exeter have recently welcomed several players back into the fold, the absence of Tutierov is a blow given the promising start he has made since arriving in January. The winger joined the Grecians on loan from Sunderland during the winter transfer window, looking to gain senior experience in League One.
Despite limited minutes so far, he has already shown flashes of his attacking potential. Quick across the ground and comfortable operating either wide or through the middle, the Ukrainian has scored twice in his early appearances and has quickly become part of Taylor’s attacking options during the run-in.
Unusual path to Exeter
Tutierov’s path to English football has been unusual. Born in Bakhchysarai in Crimea, he developed through several academies before breaking through in Ukraine with Kolos Kovalivka. His performances at youth level caught the attention of Sunderland, who brought him to Wearside in 2023 as part of the club’s strategy of recruiting promising young talent from across Europe.
Since arriving on Wearside, he has primarily featured for the club’s development side while working towards a first-team opportunity. The Sunderland Echo previously described him as a regular in Graeme Murty’s development squad, highlighting his pace and attacking instincts.
The loan move to Exeter was designed to give him regular exposure to senior football, an important step in Sunderland’s pathway for young players. For a prospect who has already represented Ukraine at both under-19 and under-21 level, competitive experience in the English Football League is seen as a crucial stage in his development.
For now, however, the focus is on the injury. Exeter will hope the scan reveals nothing serious, allowing the Sunderland loanee to return quickly and continue his early progress in League One. Losing momentum at this stage would be frustrating for both club and player, particularly after the encouraging impact he had begun to make since his arrival.
