Plymouth Argyle striker Owen Oseni is expected to be out of action until the end of November after sustaining an ankle injury. The 23-year-old was hurt during the Pilgrims' 5-1 EFL Trophy win over Crystal Palace Under-21s last Tuesday, a result that leaves the club fourth in League One on 13 points.

Head coach Tom Cleverley revealed a scan showed the injury was not the worst possible outcome but requires careful management due to a prior issue with the same ankle. Oseni, who had only just returned from a pre-season thigh problem, was substituted after 33 minutes and left Home Park on crutches.

Cleverley's squad options

With Oseni joining a treatment room that includes Alex Hartridge and Malachi Boateng, Cleverley outlined his attacking alternatives. He confirmed Will Evans and Bim Pepple are the only two available out-and-out strikers, while praising the versatility of Caleb Watts, who scored twice in the Trophy victory. "Caleb understands it brilliantly well and he's certainly our third option in that top line moving forward," Cleverley said. Watts also netted his first league goal of the season in the 3-2 win at Doncaster Rovers earlier this month.

The manager indicated Oseni's recovery timeline is about six or seven more weeks, which would see him miss a significant portion of the fixture list, including the upcoming trip to face 11th-placed Leyton Orient. Cleverley added, "I'm disappointed for him because his season's not got going."

Broader fitness picture

Despite the setback, Cleverley expressed satisfaction with the squad's overall physical condition, noting that three of the four current injuries resulted from contact incidents. He provided return timelines for other absent players, expecting defender Hartridge back first, followed by midfielder Boateng towards the end of October. The club's injury situation is updated regularly on our injuries page.

Oseni, who scored 10 goals last season after joining from St Mirren, had made two substitute appearances in League One this month before his start in the Trophy. His absence is a blow to an attack that has scored 14 goals in eight league games this term, with Aribim Pepple currently the top scorer with three. Plymouth's next challenge is away to Leyton Orient on Friday as they look to bounce back from a 1-0 home defeat to Burton Albion.

The original report is at bbc.com