'He’s worried about it, I’m worried about it': Stephen Baxter left sweating over key players after 'disaster' injury run
Carrick Rangers manager Stephen Baxter has been left sweating over the fitness of several key players after Nathan Gartside was forced off during Tuesday’s 2-2 draw against Crusaders while Seanan Clucas is awaiting scans to determine the severity of a knee injury.
Former Glentoran midfielder Clucas missed almost four months of the current campaign before making his return in November and played 86 minutes on Boxing Day, but he was absent once again for Carrick’s most recent fixture at Seaview.
The 33-year-old has been joined on the injury list by goalkeeper Gartside, who was replaced at half-time with a thigh issue.
With Kyle Cherry also set to miss a number of weeks, Baxter will be forced into the transfer market for reinforcements and he’s concerned about the status of both Clucas and Gartside at a crucial stage of the season.
“Seanan was magnificent on Saturday...his knee swelled up overnight – not the original knee injury he had for six months, it’s the other knee,” Baxter told the club’s media channel. “That now needs a scan in the next day or two and we’ll await the outcome of that.
"It’s difficult to tell at this moment in time...that could be a two-week, four-week injury, or it could be out for the season, who knows.
"Knee injuries are always difficult and when the knee swells up there’s something wrong. He didn’t feel anything in the game, this came after.
"He’s worried about it, I’m worried about it. It doesn’t rain but it pours...we had seven midfielders and now we’re down to four.
"Now our goalkeeper...a pull in the muscle, that strong kicking muscle, when it pops, that’s a tear and he’s in agony with that right now. Again, that’s a four to six week injury. Disaster.
"For managers it’s incredibly difficult when you lose some of your key players at the wrong times, but we have to fight our way through it.”
Carrick’s winless Premiership run extended to eight matches, but Baxter feels his side’s performance in North Belfast deserved maximum points.
"I’m disappointed we haven’t got all three,” he added. “Our performance was stunning, we dominated the game start to finish, our levels were just amazing.
"We controlled the game, passed the ball better than them, were first to every ball – just superb work from so many players.
"Special mention to Jack Scott, who leaves us being recalled by Coleraine which is a great disappointment. I thought he was brilliant marking their star player (Elliot) Dunlop and I didn’t see a lot of (Adam) Brooks or (Fraser) Bryden, which is good because they’re their top men.
"The two goals they get, one is against the run of play with it being the first time they were in our box – we peppered their goal, hit the crossbar and made three or four other chances, we should have been four to the good, that’s how good we were.
"That’s very pleasing for the team. I’m disappointed we haven’t got them all (points) but we were brilliant and that’s a mark of how well this team has played given the huge injury list we have.
"We had 13 fit players coming here and that’s difficult. Nathan has pulled a thigh muscle and had to come off at half-time, that’s the difficulties you face with the amount of games.”