Carlisle United's Fulham loanee out for months with injury

The on-loan Fulham striker has suffered a torn thigh muscle.

He was out of the squad for the 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic and afterwards boss Paul Simpson revealed the extent of the 22-year-old’s problem.

“Terry tore his thigh in the Harrogate game,” said Simpson, referring to the Bristol Street Motors Trophy fixture on November 14 when Ablade was a 72nd-minute substitute.

“He said he did it on his second sprint in the game and just wanted to carry on.

“We didn’t know about it, he didn’t say anything until after the game.

“We had it scanned and it’s not a good one, so he’s out until…I think they’re talking about February. It’s a bad tear he’s got. So that gives us a problem.”

Ablade joins a host of other players on the sidelines with United currently missing Joshua Kayode, Paul Huntington, Callum Guy, Taylor Charters, Fin Back and Jack Ellis.

Callum Guy, one of United's long-term injured players, talks to new owner Tom Piatak at the Charlton game (Image: Ben Holmes)

The young frontman has made 16 appearances for the Blues, mostly from the bench, and his absence further depletes Simpson’s attacking options.

“It’s one of those situations at the moment – we’ve got a small squad, and when you don’t need injuries, when you don’t need rubbish going on, it happens,” added the Carlisle boss.

“We’ve picked up this injury and we’ve just got to hang in, be as strong as we possibly can with the group that we’ve got.

“Thankfully we’ve got Joe Garner and Alfie McCalmont back [from suspension] on Tuesday [for the trip to Reading] – they’ll come into it, because today we’ve had to use a couple of the scholars to fill the bench.”

Simpson involved youth team players Aran Fitzpatrick and Josh O’Brien in his squad for the Charlton game, with another teenager in Gabe Breeze as back-up goalkeeper following Jokull Andresson’s shoulder injury.

The Carlisle boss is hoping to bring in another senior keeper from the free agent market soon.