Football Rovers forward set to miss 12 weeks with hamstring injury

SHAQ Forde is set to miss around 12 weeks of action, Darrell Clarke has confirmed, after the Bristol Rovers forward was forced off with a hamstring injury in their 2-0 friendly defeat against Coventry City a fortnight ago.

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The 21-year-old missed Rovers’ opening day 1-0 defeat to Harrogate Town last weekend, as well as a friendly win at Oxford United, and has since had surgery and is expected to miss the first three months of the Gas’ campaign.

Forde struggled for form throughout most of his first campaign at Rovers last season, scoring just two goals, but had impressed in preseason and the forward’s long-term absence is a blow.

Asked about Forde’s injury ahead of this weekend's trip to Fleetwood Town, Clarke said: “He’s out for about 12 weeks and needed an operation on his hamstring. That's very unfortunate for the lad because I thought he was having a really good preseason”