Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle nightmare continues as Man United legend suffers new setback

Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney saw his side halt their losing streak with a 3-3 draw against Middlesbrough on Saturday, but the result came with significant setbacks.

Striker Ryan Hardie, who assisted Lewis Gibson's opener, was taken off after sixty minutes and could be out of action until the new year. The point gained ended a series of four consecutive defeats for Rooney's squad, which had let in 14 goals over that spell.

Although leading three times in the match, Argyle were pegged back with Emmanuel Latte Lath's equaliser for Boro coming only six minutes from the final whistle. Injuries didn't just strike Hardie; Michael Obafemi exited early, surviving only nine minutes on the pitch.

Fortunately, Hardie's condition isn't as severe as initially assumed. "Initially when they looked at Ryan they thought it had gone through his tendon but from assessment it hasn't," Rooney detailed. "It's quite a deep gash, which he has just had stitched up.

"It's in an awkward place really, it's right on the bottom of his knee and bending his leg won't help it heal. I haven't seen it back but when he slid in for the tackle I'm assuming he has caught the lad's stud."

Rooney is bracing to cope without Hardie throughout the intense holiday schedule. "I'm a player who has had a lot of them gashes and I think it was the right call to take him off," the former Manchester United star added. "I'm sure it will probably be the Christmas period he would be out.

"That's disappointing because in the last two games he has done well for us. Normally your stitches are in for a week or so but just given where it is, every time he walks or moves he's going to have to bend his leg so it's a tricky one to heal."

Gibson's goal seven minutes before