Glentoran manager Declan Devine is hoping to have a number of his injured stars – including talisman Pat Hoban – available for selection in the coming weeks as a high-profile absentee list builds up at The Oval.

The Glens were without last season’s Premiership top goalscorer Hoban for Saturday’s defeat to Linfield at Windsor Park while Elliott Morris was named in an Irish League matchday squad for the first time since January 2022 aged 45 due to issues in the goalkeeper department.

Summer signing Greg Sloggett has yet to make his Glentoran debut while Jarlath O’Rourke, Liam Burt and Josh Daniels are also amongst those currently missing.

Devine is now also set to be without Jordan Stewart, who has scored in both of Glentoran’s first two Premiership matches of the new season, for Friday’s trip to Ballymena United after he was sent off in the dying moments of last weekend’s loss.

placeholder image — Glentoran manager Declan Devine. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

With a number of Glens stars working their way back towards full fitness, Devine’s options could be boosted in the near future, but he feels his squad is strong enough to deal with injury issues.

"Elliott Morris was on the bench (against Linfield), I felt with Andrew Mills being out for a couple of weeks that if you go out and sign another keeper you have three top keepers and only two picked on a weekly basis,” Devine told the club’s media channel. “We have a top young goalkeeper in Jack (Watt) who I felt the game was just a bit too much for in terms of his development, he's only 17 and has a brilliant future, but this is a different type of game.

"Jarlath O'Rourke is a big loss for us and will hopefully be back in the next couple of weeks, Greg Sloggett has had a setback and will be back in the next couple of weeks as well, he picked up an injury to his knee and he will integrate into the group again.

"Liam Burt is probably the most long-term one, Pat tweaked his calf against Limavady and I'm hopeful that's only a couple of games.

"Josh Daniels did his knee against RFS in Latvia and we're hoping he will be back for next week.

"They are huge losses to us but we have a squad and build a squad knowing if you are missing a player or two that you have the same level stepping in.

"I do believe we have that, but (Linfield performance) was completely unacceptable and we have to lick our wounds and make sure it doesn't happen again. To perform in the manner we did was gut wrenching."

Devine has challenged his side to respond in a positive manner at The Showgrounds against a Ballymena team also coming off a defeat.

"There’s ways of losing games and that (against Linfield) wasn’t one of them,” he added. "I have to keep this group really tight because there’s a lot of talent there.

"We’re missing seven players, which is no excuse because every player there I either brought to the club or kept.

"We let our fans down and that’s disappointing. We have to break the game down, find out why we were so poor and that’ll be discussed openly and honestly. We need to have more about us in the coming games.”