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Town have had eighteen first-teamers battle injuries already this season

Aro Muric missed a game with a calf injury.Aro Muric missed a game with a calf injury. (Image: Ross Halls)

ARO MURIC

Injury: Calf. Games missed: 1

Sat out the season opener against Liverpool, but has played every league game since.

Cieran Slicker was sidelined for a spell with a hand injury.Cieran Slicker was sidelined for a spell with a hand injury. (Image: Ross Halls)

CIERAN SLICKER

Injury: Hand. Games missed: Unknown

Third-choice keeper suffered a hand injury in mid-September that sidelined him for a spell. Was called up to the Scotland senior squad for the first time last month.

Axel Tuanzebe has suffered two major injury blows already this season.Axel Tuanzebe has suffered two major injury blows already this season. (Image: PA)

AXEL TUANZEBE

Injury: Hand. Games missed: 4

Injury: Hamstring. Games missed so far: 1. Due out: ‘Long-term’

After years of injury set-backs centred around a back issue, Tuanzebe, having been built up to full fitness slowly after his free transfer arrival in September 2023, was looking robust.

A key man during the promotion run-in, he started the opening six Premier League games at right-back and was particularly impressive in the 0-0 draw at Brighton.

Then came a freak injury. The 27-year-old suffered a deep cut when breaking a glass dish while doing the washing up. He feared he might lose his thumb.

Major surgery followed. He missed just four matches though before returning to action with his hand in a restrictive cast. His form picked up where it left off, with some rock-solid displays against Tottenham and Manchester United.

It was therefore a major blow when he limped off in the latter stages of last weekend’s defeat at Nottingham Forest with a hamstring injury. Kieran McKenna says he’s going to miss ‘a large chunk of the season’.

Ben Johnson has twice had minor injury set-backs.Ben Johnson has twice had minor injury set-backs. (Image: PA)

BEN JOHNSON

Injury: Thigh. Games missed: 2

Injury: 'Muscular'. Games missed: 2

Started at West Ham, but then wasn’t available for the subsequent games against Everton and Brentford due to a ‘minor thigh injury’.

Returned to the starting XI against Leicester and Tottenham, but has sat out the last two with what McKenna has described as a ‘small muscular injury’.

Should be available again for Sunday’s visit of Bournemouth.

Harry Clarke underwent Achilles surgery back in May.Harry Clarke underwent Achilles surgery back in May. (Image: PA)

HARRY CLARKE

Injury: Achilles. Games missed: 6

Played through the pain last season before undergoing surgery on two troublesome Achilles in May. Returned to the matchday squad in early October. Has also had to miss one game through suspension for his red card at Brentford.

Dara O'Shea has been playing with a back fracture.Dara O'Shea has been playing with a back fracture. (Image: PA)

DARA O’SHEA

Injury: Back. Games missed: 0

Irish defender has managed to carry on playing for club and country despite suffering a back fracture.

Jacob Greaves had a spell out with a hamstring injury.Jacob Greaves had a spell out with a hamstring injury. (Image: Ross Halls)

JACOB GREAVES

Injury: Hamstring. Games missed: 5

Summer signing from Hull started the season superbly before suffering a hamstring injury. Could have featured at Forest last weekend, but McKenna stuck with Cameron Burgess. Returned to the team in Tuesday night’s 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace.

Sam Morsy missed one game with a minor hamstring injury.Sam Morsy missed one game with a minor hamstring injury. (Image: Ross Halls)

SAM MORSY

Injury: Hamstring. Games missed: 1

Minor hamstring injury sustained in the Everton home loss meant the skipper had to sit out the 4-3 defeat at Brentford.

Kalvin Phillips has da minor thigh and ankle injuries in a stop-start season so far.Kalvin Phillips has had minor thigh and ankle injuries in a stop-start season so far. (Image: Ross Halls)

KALVIN PHILLIPS

Injury: Thigh. Games missed: 1

Injury: Ankle. Games missed: 3

Dropped out the team at Southampton with a minor thigh issue. Recently was unavailable for the matches against Tottenham, Man United and Forest after rolling his ankle in training. Was an unused sub in midweek.

Jens Cajuste is managing a knee issue.Jens Cajuste is managing a knee issue. (Image: Ross Halls)

JENS CAJUSTE

Injury: Knee. Games missed: 3

Brentford opted not to sign the midfielder in the summer after discovering a knee issue in his medical.

The Napoli loanee hurt said knee after his first league start for Town, at Southampton, and was out the squad for the next three matches. He didn’t go away with Sweden in the last international break to manage the issue.

Jack Taylor is another who has had a hamstring injury.Jack Taylor is another who has had a hamstring injury. (Image: Ross Halls)

JACK TAYLOR

Injury: Hamstring. Games missed: 3

Hamstring injury sustained in training prevented him making his first start of the season at Brentford. Midfielder has been back on the bench for the last three games.

Massimo Luongo had to overcome an ankle injury.Massimo Luongo had to overcome an ankle injury. (Image: Steve Waller)

MASSIMO LUONGO

Injury: Ankle. Games missed: 3

Midfielder wasn’t available for the games against West Ham, Everton and Brentford. Also missed a trip away with Australia during that time.

Wes Burns suffered a hamstring injury on the opening day of the season.Wes Burns suffered a hamstring injury on the opening day of the season. (Image: Ross Halls)

WES BURNS

Injury: Hamstring. Games missed: 3

Welsh winger was forced off in the second half of the season opener against Liverpool, but returned to action less than a month later.

Chiedozie Ogbene is set to miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles.Chiedozie Ogbene is set to miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles. (Image: PA)

CHIEDOZIE OGBENE

Injury: Achilles. Games missed so far: 5. Due out: Rest of the season

Flying winger tore his Achilles in the defeat at Brentford and is due to be out for the rest of the season following surgery.

Omari Hutchinson has twice left the England U21 squad to manage injuries.Omari Hutchinson has twice left the England U21 squad to manage injuries. (Image: PA)

OMARI HUTCHINSON

Injury: Illness. Games missed: 1

Club-record signing was a late withdrawal for the game at Brentford after falling ill overnight.

Has twice been sent home from England U21 duty, first with a tight hamstring (Sept) and more recently with a ‘knock’.

Nathan Broadhead suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of pre-season.Nathan Broadhead suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of pre-season. (Image: Ross Halls)

NATHAN BROADHEAD

Injury: Hamstring. Games missed: 8

Injury: Groin. Games missed: 1

Suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of pre-season.

Everton home loss in early October was the first time he was in a matchday squad. 'Minor groin injury’ saw him withdraw from the most recent Wales squad and miss the Man United home game. Has come off the bench in the last two.

George Hirst will be out for weeks after a knee injury setback.George Hirst will be out for weeks after a knee injury setback. (Image: Ross Halls)

GEORGE HIRST

Injury: Knee. Games missed: 4

Injury: Knee. Games missed so far: 3

Due back: Early 2025

Luckless striker has suffered three major set-backs in the space of 11 months.

The 25-year-old ruptured his hamstring in last year's Boxing Day clash with Leicester and, following surgery, returned to action for the final week of the Championship promotion-winning campaign.

He then suffered a knee injury in an August pre-season game against Fortuna Dusseldorf and, following keyhole surgery, returned to action in the 0-0 draw at Brighton on September 14.

Provided a goal and assist on his full Premier League debut at Brentford, but is now facing a fresh spell on the sidelines after hurting his knee again during a cameo appearance at Spurs.

Ali Al-Hamadi is still working his way back to full fitness having undergone groin surgery in the summer.Ali Al-Hamadi is still working his way back to full fitness having undergone groin surgery in the summer. (Image: Ross Halls)

ALI AL-HAMADI

Injury: Groin. Games missed: 0

Another who played through the pain in the latter stages of the promotion season.

Underwent groin surgery in May and missed most of pre-season as a result.

Following his recent cameo against Man United, McKenna said of the Iraqi international: “We have to remember that was the first time he stepped on a pitch since August. And in August he was coming off the back of a big, big operation. He's not match sharp yet.”

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