Darius Henderson is set to undergo an operation on a hamstring complaint picked up in the fixture at Sheffield Wednesday last season.

It had been hoped that the striker would be fit for the start of the campaign and had begun pre-season with the remainder of the squad.

However, further soreness has resulted in Henderson being booked in for an operation, after which an assessment of his rehabilitation period can be more accurately made, although he will certainly out for the next couple of months.

Boss Blackwell said: "Losing an important member of the squad like Darius is a blow and we wish him well with his rehabilitation. Our squad is not the biggest in terms of quantity but we have other quality forwards who are keen to find the target in the early season matches."