Shrewsbury Town forward Aiden O’Brien has undergone surgery on a hip injury and it has now been revealed he will be out for around six weeks.
O’Brien, 28, has only made one League One appearance for his new club this season.
He joined Steve Cotterill’s side this summer following his release from Portsmouth where he managed five goals and one assist in 17 league games.
O’Brien was one of many signings the Shrews have made this summer and, following their shrewd transfer business, many thought they might enjoy a strong start to the new season. That hasn’t exactly started perfectly with Shrewsbury Town sitting 16th after four games however, their two most recent results being a 2-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers and a 0-0 draw with Derby County may be a hint of things to come.
O’Brien could play a key role in their success moving forward but now, Cotterill has revealed he will miss around six weeks of action. When asked by the Shropshire Star about the lengthy of his absence, he said:
“Six weeks probably.
“But he might be back playing in six weeks, so let’s just see how it goes. He has had the operation, it went well, so that is good.
“After three to four weeks we should be able to start stepping him up a little bit.
“It is going to be a little bit longer, and there is nothing we can do about it.”
Like a new signing?
The 28-year-old proved during his stint at Pompey that he can perform at this level and he can be a great forward to have. His movement can often allow other players space to work and his effort is second-to-none.
Shrewsbury Town do have Dan Udoh to lead the line whilst O’Brien recovers and his 13 goals in the league last season proves he is more than capable of doing s0. When O’Brien returns Cotterill may slot him behind Udoh to allow them to play off one another.
Hopefully, O’Brien recovers fully and if he can get firing for Salop this season as they look to push on.
Cotterill is now tasked with continuing his side’s good run this weekend with a game against league leaders Ipswich Town this Saturday.
