Dean Holden could be ruled out for up to three months after leaving the field on Saturday with ankle-ligament trouble. Holden went straight to hospital when the team got back to OIdham for X-rays. Talking to the Oldham Chronicle, Athletic’s manager Brian Talbot said, “It’s very bad news. Dean caught his studs in the pitch and he’s going to be out for a while. The rest of the players are going to miss everything he does for them because he’s a leader on and off the pitch. He’s a tremendous captain who shows 100-per-cent commitment. It’s a major setback when you lose leadership qualities like that. Dean might not always catch the eye, but he has played every game bar one this season and we missed him badly at Port Vale."
"We’ve got Alex Bruce to cover at right-back, but I’m short of numbers with Mark Arber and Marc Tierney both out on loan. Carlisle want to keep Tierney for another month, and I’ll allow it if he wants to stay, but there will be a 24-hour recall because we might just need him.”