KO for Kelly

Liam Kelly

INFLUENTIAL captain Liam Kelly may not turn out again for Athletic this year due to injury.

The midfield linchpin was missing for the 4-0 hammering inflicted by Yeovil at the weekend with a strained hamstring.

It was the first time this season that former Kilmarnock and Bristol City man Kelly has not started for the club in Sky Bet League One.

The 24-year-old definitely won’t feature at MK Dons, where he came through the academy , and could be missing for up to a month.

There is better news on Jonathan Forte, though, as the top scorer only missed the Glovers clash through a sickness bug that has been affecting players for some time now.

The forward should be ready to resume his season at Stadium mk.

“You start to realise what a big loss people are in games like that,” said Athletic manager Lee Johnson.

“It is a big disappointment, as Liam Kelly has tweaked his hamstring. We are not sure how long he will be.

“It could be a couple of weeks, it could be four weeks. We just have to assess it.

“Jonathan Forte had the Friday sickness bug that we have had for the last four games in a row.”

Kelly has only failed to start in three matches this season, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy ties against Barnsley and Preston and the Glovers debacle.

His vital importance as a shield in front of the back four can be seen in the statistic that in those three contests, Athletic have shipped eight goals.

And in that Preston tie, his arrival on the field as a half-time substitute helped inspire the side to come back from 1-0 down to draw 2-2 after 90 minutes, before going on to lose a penalty shoot-out.

The loss to Yeovil was the heaviest of Johnson’s managerial career to date and the worst home result for the club since Peterborough walked away with a 5-0 victory on February 26, 2011, on their way to promotion to the Championship via the play-offs.

It was the first home loss in the league for Athletic since the opening month, though.

And with Athletic still in a promising position of eighth in League One, level on 30 points with Rochdale in sixth, Johnson wants to focus minds on digging out a result at MK Dons this weekend.

“I’m low and gutted, but sometimes this happens to clubs in a season,” the manager added.

“It’s a reality check for everybody as individuals, myself and the club. You have to go deep within yourself now to pull out a performance.

“You have to build again. Whether that be in the dressing room, on the training ground or the next match.”