RONNIE Moore will be without skipper Joe Partington for his first game in charge of Eastleigh at home to Solihull Moors on Saturday (3pm).
The signs had looked positive for the 26-year-old right-back, who suffered an Achilles problem at Braintree in the second game of the season.
But from being “optimistic” Partington would play, Moore has reluctantly accepted that the ex-AFC Bournemouth man will miss the whole of the Bank Holiday weekend, including Monday’s trip to Bromley (3pm).
“He’s not going to be fit for at least ten days,” reported the new Spitfires boss.
“It’s an Achilles and you can’t mess around with them. Come back too early and you could be out for six months.
“I was so optimistic that he was going to play but, where the ground is so hard at the moment, it’s put him back.”
News is no better of midfielders Luke Coulson (shoulder) and David Pipe (ankle), who have both been injured while filling in for Partington in the ill-fated right-back berth.
“Coulson’s got no chance,” said the boss, “and there’s no way Pipe will play. He’s another fortnight away.”
In light of those problems, Moore reckons there’s “every chance” of an up-and-coming Spitfires youngster breaking into his Vanarama National League squad.
“We’ve got (centre-back) Connor Essam playing right-back at the moment and, if anything happens to him, we’re going to have to play one of them,” he said.
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