Latics in on-loan striker search

ATHLETIC boss Dave Penney will scour the loan market this week in order to fill the hole left by the prolonged absence of Pawel Abbott.

The six-goal top scorer is still in Germany having had a hernia operation there last week in which he suffered from unspecified complications.

The situation was kept under wraps in the build-up to the FA Cup tie against Leeds and, with clubs unwilling to lend out players who would have become cup-tied, Penney played Deane Smalley in a makeshift striker role alongside Keigan Parker in the 2-0 defeat at Boundary Park.

Unfortunately for goal-shy Athletic, there is no hiding the fact that Abbott may now be missing from action until the end of the year.

“Pawel had his hernia operation on Tuesday in Germany and there has been a complication with it, so we are not quite sure how long he will be out,” Penney said, following a third consecutive home defeat.

“He is still there now and will be coming back the middle of this week, when we will have a better idea.

“Initially it was going to be between seven and 21 days, though now we are probably looking at between four and six weeks.

“We will have to have a sit-down to see where we are.

“We will look at the assessment on Pawel and see how long he will be out for, see what we have in the building and then if we need to, try to go and get somebody.”

Penney is at least boosted for this weekend’s trip to Gillingham by the return to action of striker Nick Blackman.

The on-loan frontman was refused permission to play in the cup by his parent club Blackburn, although a deal has been reached allowing fellow Rovers midfielder Alex Marrow to stay with Athletic until the end of the season, meaning he was able to take to the field against Leeds.