Plymouth's EFL Trophy win overshadowed by Oseni injury blow

Plymouth Argyle's emphatic 5-1 win over Crystal Palace under-21s in the EFL Trophy group stage was overshadowed by a serious injury to striker Owen Oseni. The 23-year-old was forced off in the first half with an ankle problem and later seen on crutches wearing a protective boot on his left foot.

Caleb Watts scored twice for the hosts, with Xavier Amaechi, Seb Campbell and Aribim Pepple also on target in a comfortable victory at Home Park. The result extends Plymouth's winning run to four games across all competitions, a sequence that has propelled them to third place in League One with 13 points from seven matches.

Injury concern for Oseni

Oseni's injury is a significant blow for a player who had only just returned from a thigh strain that kept him out for the first month of the season. He provided an assist for Watts' opening goal before his afternoon ended prematurely. Assistant coach Damon Lathrope provided a concerning update after the match.

"We will find out more in the next few days," Lathrope said. "It doesn't look too positive at the moment." He added, "He's a top lad with a strong mentality and I know he will work really hard to make sure that hopefully sooner rather than later he's back out there on the pitch."

How the match unfolded

Plymouth took control early, with Amaechi opening the scoring after eleven minutes from a Campbell pass. Watts doubled the lead midway through the first half, finishing a move started by Oseni, and then added his second just before the break following good work from Jared Rendle.

Donte Martin pulled one back for the young Palace side after 57 minutes, but Campbell restored the three-goal cushion nine minutes later. Pepple, who is now the club's top scorer this season with three goals in seven appearances, completed the rout six minutes from time, again assisted by Campbell.

Other players also picked up knocks during the match. Watts required treatment after a challenge but was able to continue, while defender Mathias Ross played on despite suffering a cut above his lip that may need stitches.

Looking ahead

The win secures a strong position in the EFL Trophy group, but attention now turns to maintaining their league form. Plymouth sit just two points behind leaders Bradford and have scored 14 goals in their seven League One outings.

Their next challenge is a home league match against Burton Albion on Saturday. Burton, currently 12th, were beaten 3-0 by Plymouth in their last meeting in January. With Oseni likely sidelined, the responsibility up front may fall more heavily on Pepple and others as the squad prepares for a busy period. The team's current form and league standing can be tracked on our standings page.

The original report is at Plymouth Live