BLACKBURN ROVERS DEFENDER Tommie Hoban looks like he has played his last match of 2016, after dislocating his shoulder in training.
The centre-back, who is on a season-long loan from Watford, has been one of Blackburn’s standout performers this season, despite Owen Coyle’s side struggling at the bottom of the division.
“Tommie Hoban requires surgery on his shoulder given the extent of the damage,” Coyle told the club’s official website.
“Watford, as his parent club, wanted to look at that as well, so with that in mind Tommie will undergo surgery on Monday.
“So it will be an extended period of time with the best case scenario you are looking at is something like three months, so we’ll just have to wait and see how that one goes.
“That is a blow first and foremost to Tommie, and obviously to the club. But he is mentally strong, so we’ll make sure he is well cared for and in a good place physically and mentally and try and build that up.
“He’ll still be able to do some work given that it is a shoulder injury, but what we do know is that when he is back and available we’ll have a wonderful young player to come into our team.”
Hoban, who has featured 10 times in the Championship for Blackburn this season, played a key role in Watford’s promotion to the Premier League during the 2014-15 campaign, but several injuries has hampered his progress since then.
Fellow Irish defender, Derrick Williams who joined the club on a permanent basis from Bristol City, at the same time as Hoban, was ruled out for up to six weeks last week due to a hamstring injury.
Hoban is also joined at Ewood Park by Irish pair Darragh Lenihan and Anthony Stokes, as well as Jack Byrne, who is on-loan at the Lancashire club from Manchester City, but the 20-year-old hasn’t featured since September.
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