Jermaine facing lengthy time out
Graham Turner has revealed that defender Jermaine Grandison is likely to need an operation on his troublesome hip and could be out for as long as six months.
Grandison, one of six players to have been offered a new contract, went to see a top hip specialist in Cambridge with physio Chris Skitt last week.
And GT says the defender is now facing up to a lengthy lay off.
"It looks likely that he'll require surgery on his hip which is quite an extensive operation," said the manager.
"He could be out for quite some time. The fear is it could be up to six months which will be a severe blow to us because he's very much an integral part of what we had planned.
"He can play as a central defender, which we've seen, and the enjoyment of playing right back where he gets forward and I think the crowd have taken to him as a right back with his little step overs, his tricks, and his power up and down the right hand side.
"If he's going to be out for that length of time, it will be a severe blow to us, but we'll get over it."
GT added the injury will not change his thoughts on offering Grandison a new deal to extend his stay at the Greenhous Meadow.
"In Jermaine's case we've got to give him the opportunity to get fit again," he said. "There is an offer on the table for him which safeguards certainly his future for 12 months.
"But during that 12 months, if it is to be surgery, we hope he gets over it and by Christmas time certainly he'll be back into the full swing of things."
GT, meanwhile, has yet to hear back from the players he has offered new contracts to with Grandison, Tom Bradshaw, Connor Goldson, Jon Taylor, Aaron Wildig and Ryan Woods still weighing up their options.
"They have a month from the time they receive their offers so it's just over a week has gone by since that," he said. "We just have to wait and see what happens now.
"Generally it takes a bit of time. They've all got agents now and they'll all be having conversations with them and we'll have to see how it develops.
"We obviously want to keep the players we've offered contracts to. We're desperate to keep the younger element at the club and build a platform for some success."