Injury update: Corry Evans

The Northern Ireland midfielder has suffered a fractured skull and a 'shattered' eye socket

The 29-year-old was stretchered off early into the encounter with PNE after colliding with visiting skipper Tom Clarke.

And almost a week on from the incident, Mowbray admits that the reading is grim for the midfielder.

“Corry’s not a good story," Tony began when discussing injury news to iFollow Rovers ahead of this weekend's trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

"He was in hospital for a few days with his family close by. He’s had scans and x-rays. Ultimately he’s fractured the front part of his skull and has shattered all around his eye socket.

“We’ve been with Corry, his family and advisors, and are trying to find the best option for him to get the best people we can for the operation.

“We’ve spoken to Corry and he’s in decent spirits. There were a few days where he was in a lot of discomfort and pain, and he’s now going to be waiting for an operation.

“He’ll have a period of time before he can even think about getting back into football but we won’t be putting a timescale on it.

“It’s a concern for him and his family and we wish him well for his recovery.

“It happened right on the opposite side of the dugout. He’s taken some whack to his face after fracturing a part of his skull and shattering his eye socket.

“Our thoughts are with Corry and we’ll be there to support him every inch of the way," he added.

“Corry is a very important player for us, bringing that experience to the team.

“He has fantastic anticipation and will be a huge loss for us. It’s hard, but we’ll try our best without him.”