Grimsby Town's injury battle after Jake Eastwood goes off at Carlisle
David Artell said that he was already on the phone at half-time of the win at Carlisle United to set in motion a potential emergency goalkeeper signing, such is the injury battle they face currently.
Jake Eastwood was forced off early at the weekend with a large cut, which the full severity of is not known publicly at this stage, but he is unlikely to be able to play on Tuesday night at Gillingham at the very least, which leaves the team without a first-team goalkeeper.
Seb Auton came on and did a great job at Carlisle, but with Eastwood and Jordan Wright both sidelined currently the club are within their rights to make an emergency loan signing in goal.
READ MORE:Artell's praise for Grimsby Town's 'magnificent' comeback at Carlisle United
READ MORE:Late goals seal Grimsby Town's first away win of the season at Carlisle United
Artell said: “We already had a shortlist of potential goalkeepers that we could bring in if needed, so we made a phone call at half-time so that Joe [Hutchinson, head of recruitment] is aware and we can get that up and running.
“I’ll be speaking to the owners on the way home - Jordan [Wright]’s hurt his shoulder and Easty is going to be out for a period of time. We’ve obviously got to do something in that department which is unforeseen and unhelpful, but that is football.
“I was listening to Pep Guardiola speaking about his own injury crisis, and I wondered whether he’d like to try Grimsby Town at the minute because it’s a challenge. In the face of adversity, a huge amount of credit goes to the players, we only had 18 first-team members fit for today.”
A few outfield players are close to returning, but there are at least five currently out of action not including the goalkeepers, which has limited Artell’s options across the team.
Curtis Thompson, Jayden Luker and Justin Obikwu are in the late stages of recovery, while Jordan Davies and Charles Vernam’s return dates are much further away.
Some have played a lot more than others, but collectively, those who were available at the weekend put in a shift that impressed their boss.
Artell explained: “We haven’t got anyone else at the moment, and to a man, the starters and the five subs, they were outstanding, and even the lads that didn’t get on the pitch were a credit to the football club.
“That is the atmosphere and culture we’ve created and hopefully we can continue on the upward trajectory. There are going to be ups and downs but days like this show what we’re capable of as a team.”
Times like this are tough yet also character-building for a team still getting used to each other in the early stages of the season, so Artell will hope that they come out the other end in a better place.