Motherwell dealt new injury blow as star ruled out for a month

Motherwell have been dealt a further injury blow with news that Tom Sparrow will be out for at least a month.

While boss Stuart Kettlewell says his injury list is easing in other areas, the 21-year-old Welsh midfielder will be out of action for several weeks.

The former Stoke City star was crocked in the first minute of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Ross County, and Kettlewell says it’s a blow for a player who was finding his feet in the first team.

He said: “We’re going to be without Tom Sparrow, who sustained an ankle injury in the first minute of the game on Saturday, as it turns out.

“We reckon, based on the scan, that he’s going to be out for a minimum of a month, which is a real blow.

"He has obviously pitched in with a couple of goals this season, getting himself up to speed, finding himself in our team, and it’s a bit of a disappointment, that one.

“It’s a bigger disappointment for me when you see the challenge, or lack of challenge, that resulted in the injury, which is way worse than Lennon Miller’s challenge when he intercepted the ball and got booked on Saturday.

“It was a very similar situation that’s looked upon differently, because Tom’s the type of lad that just bounces back up and gets on with the game.

“I know that opens up a wee bit of a can of worms, but you can see my frustration in it, that I don’t think it was a foul, but neither did I think Lennon’s was.

“Tony Watt missed out last weekend, he took a back spasm whilst we were up at the hotel, but he’s back in training and hopefully he will be available for the squad as well.”

Kettlewell hopes to get some big players like Stephen O’Donnell, Paul McGinn and Callum Slattery back for the turn of the year.

He said: “We hope, come December into January when