Barnsley dealt injury blow ahead of Middlesbrough fixture as 'big talent' sidelined for up to six weeks

BARNSLEY have lost midfielder Callum Styles for up to six weeks after he ruptured ligaments in his ankle.
By Ben McKenna
Published 20th Feb 2020, 14:59 BST
Updated 21st Feb 2020, 09:16 BST

WATCH: Relegation battle nothing new for Barnsley forward Patrick Schmidt.

The 19-year-old wasn't in the match-day squad for the 3-0 victory at Fulham last weekend and will miss at least the next month of action as Barnsley aim to reignite their survival fight.

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Styles came off the bench in the draw with Sheffield Wednesday and the defeat to Birmingham and has made nine appearances for the Reds this term.

Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles.Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles.
Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles.

Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber hailed the midfielder as a "big talent" but will now be without the youngster until the end of March.

"Callum Styles is out, he has ruptured ligaments in his ankle," confirmed Struber.

"He will be out for four to six weeks. He is not available right now but he is a big talent at the club.

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"He has shown me in training and in the games he has played that he is a good talent, especially for the future.

Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber.Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber.
Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber.

"And we hope he can come back very quickly."

Barnsley will be bolstered by the return of Marcel Ritzmaier, who returned to training on Thursday after missing the last four fixtures with a knee problem.

Goalkeeper Sami Radlinger has been absent since the beginning of February with a muscle injury and is still one to two weeks away from a return action.

"Ritzmaier is back, he had his first training session today," added Struber.

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"Sami Radlinger is out, he cannot play on Saturday. I think we need to wait one or two weeks for him."

Meanwhile, Struber has backed defender Mads Andersen to come back stronger after he was rested for Saturday's victory against Fulham.

The defender has made 29 appearances for the Reds this term but had come under fire after his mistake against Birmingham last Tuesday saw the Blues earn a 1-0 win at Oakwell.

Struber said: "Mads has been very good in training this week.

"We had a long talk about the game against Birmingham, before we spoke about the mistakes.

"But he is a part of this squad and this club and in the next few weeks he will come back and will help us."

Related topics:BarnsleyMads AndersenMiddlesbroughBirmingham