Newport County captain Ryan Delaney's season ended by injury

The central defender missed only his second game of the campaign when the Exiles beat Gillingham 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Delaney, who was at the game on crutches, is poised to miss the rest of 2023/24 as County eye a late charge into the play-off picture.

The influential Irishman, whose only other missed game was due to suspension, suffered a twinge in the opening stages of the midweek defeat to Notts County when attempting to make a clearance.

He received treatment on his left knee and continued until being replaced in the early stages of the second half.

A scan has revealed that the summer signing from Morecambe is set to be sidelined for the rest of the campaign, which is set to end on April 27 unless the Exiles extend their season with a top-seven finish.

INFLUENTIAL: County captain Ryan Delaney (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“We had a little bit of news on Ryan and it’s not good,” said manager Graham Coughlan. “It looks at this moment that his season is over.

“It’s a massive blow and I don’t know what we have done to deserve the injury list that we have had all season. It’s disheartening and hard to take when you lose someone like that.

“God only knows where we would have been had we not been dealt such cruel blows in September, October and November.

“It’s been tough but we don’t feel sorry for ourselves and revel in adversity, which is testament to the mentality of the group.”

Delaney has been an influential figure for County after stepping into the shoes of stalwart Mickey Demetriou.

He has racked up 41 appearances and was a growing force on the left of the defensive three.

County were forced into a defensive rejig with Scot Bennett moving back from midfield to the heart of the defence. Matt Baker was on the right of the trio with James Clarke shifted to the left.

BACK: County defender Kyle Jameson (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

They were helped in the closing stages against the physical Gills when Kyle Jameson made his long-awaited return from a hip injury suffered at Crewe in August.

He is set to feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Monday at Forest Green Rovers, who they have already faced twice in League Two this season.

His fellow central defender Declan Drysdale is also likely to play a part after being out of action since the start of November.

“The last 10 minutes was just bodies on the line, it was just 11 tired men and we had to get some fresh legs off the bench. It was good to see ‘Jamo’ out there for a couple of minutes," said Coughlan.

"Next week it is vitally important for those lads that didn’t play to get 90 minutes on Monday, then some training sessions so that they are ready, fit, stronger and further down the road of their recovery.”

County travel to fifth-placed MK Dons next Saturday.