GETHIN Jones will have a scan on a knee injury picked up since his return for pre-season at Wanderers.
The vice-captain missed Saturday’s behind-closed-doors friendly victory against West Brom and is not expected to take part in this weekend’s meeting with Middlesbrough at Bishop Auckland.
The injury is not thought to be a serious one but the Australia international has been sent for checks before making any attempt to return to training.
Jones has had a busier summer than most, playing in two World Cup qualifiers in June, and had been put on a slightly different pre-season routine to the rest of the squad as a result.
Wanderers have several players currently in the treatment room, with new signing Chris Forino is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a thigh injury picked up in training last week.
Again, the injury is not thought to be a serious issue, but the former Wycombe defender will not feature in the friendly against Boro, or the short trip to face Chorley next Tuesday.
Jack Iredale is expected back in full training soon after a groin problem and goalkeeper Luke Southwood has also confirmed he will be back on regular duties at Lostock this week, having broken his fibula playing for Cheltenham Town on the final day of the season.
Dion Charles should be the next player after Iredale on the comeback list, having been given the all-clear by medics on a persistent knee ligament problem.
Randell Williams is still several weeks away from a return after damaging his foot 24 hours before the play-off final in May And Carlos Mendes Gomes should be available towards the end of the year as he continues a long rehabilitation from a ruptures Achilles tendon.
Ian Evatt said after the win against West Brom at St George’s Park that his squad is currently short on fit players, but that new addition Scott Arfield has now joined the group.
“We are light,” Evatt said. “We are working very hard to bring more players in. Scotty joined yesterday, which is great and will add to us, and myself and Chris (Markham) are working hard all the time on the recruitment front.
“But we've evolved and changed on this journey. I think we've done really well in recent years in the free transfer market and the loan market but we're now moving on to buying players to improve our 11.
“When you're looking to buy players, predominantly these players are very good players at their parent club so they don't want to lose them, or they hang on to them, and negotiations are sometimes drawn out and difficult.
“We’re just trying to be patient. Normally we return for pre-season and the majority of the squad is finalised. That's not the case this year, so we just need to be more fluid.
“There's lots of hard work going on behind the scenes but come the first game of the season, hopefully those bodies will be in and we'll be ready.”
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