John Mousinho has confirmed that Regan Poole will miss the rest of the season after suffering an ACL tear.
The defender limped from the pitch after hurting his knee in last weekend’s FA Cup defeat at Chesterfield.
A scan confirmed that he is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but Mousinho is confident his squad can deal with the setback.
The Blues boss said: “It’s a real blow and we’re all disappointed that he’s going to be out for the remainder of the campaign.
"I spoke with Regan late on Thursday night and it was a very positive young man that I was talking to – I’m sure he’s well equipped to deal with it."
“It’s as good as it can be in the situation because it’s just an ACL tear and there’s nothing with any of the other ligaments.
“I’m sure that everyone is gutted for Regan and he’s a huge part of what we’ve been able to do so far this season.
“We just have to dust ourselves down and get on with things, while making sure that we rally around him.
“It’s the reason why we’ve built the squad the way that we have and although I’m not happy with the situation, I know we’ve got strength in depth.
“I spoke with Regan late on Thursday night and it was a very positive young man that I was talking to – I’m sure he’s well equipped to deal with it.”