THE numbers are daunting, distressing and potentially depressing.

Wanderers kick off the new season today with EIGHT members of their first team squad sidelined and without no fewer than NINE of the squad that performed so valiantly in the Play-offs in May.

It all adds up to a major headache for Sam Allardyce.

Losing any player is a problem but one whose absence creates a multitude of problems for the manager is Robbie Elliott.

'Utility' is the Geordie's middle name and in a situation like Wanderers face today his versatility would have been worth its weight in gold.

Had he not been suspended and subsequently injured, Elliott's would have been a certain starter against Burnley. You couldn't say with any confidence in what position he'd have played, but he could have been relied on to turn in a good performance.

Multi-roles

Elliott's multi-role capabilities were seen in all their glory last season when he looked to have overcome his injury worries and was making a priceless contribution: full-back, centre-back, centre midfield, wide midfield - all on the left side, of course, but all positions covered equally proficently.

"Robbie's would be one of the first players whose name would go on the team sheet," Allardyce lamented, "regardless of the position.

"Losing him is a big blow but hopefully we won't have to do without him for too long. He's too valuable a player to have out of the picture."

It's Sod's Law that within days of expressing the hope that Elliott would enjoy an injury-free season that the manager should lose one of his most talented players - one of four (Paul Warhurst, Dean Holdsworth and Mark Fish being the others) who are in the last year of their contracts and whose skills could grace the Premiership.

Hence the consternation at Bury last Saturday when, just seven minutes after replacing Fish who had gone off with a five-stitch gash above his left eye, he pulled up sharply feeling the area of his groin where he recently needed surgery for the third time in 12 months!

Scans this week suggest Elliott will be missing for up to five weeks - a long time for any team to be missing four players in one.