Loss of Keshi Anderson leaves Ferguson free to explore loan market for Doncaster Rovers

The young forward, 20, who has made a positive impression at the Keepmoat Stadium, was stretchered off in the second-half of Rovers’ 2-0 weekend home loss to Rochdale and was forced to stay in hospital overnight.

Anderson struck three times in seven games for Rovers and was rated highly by Ferguson, with the blow being an untimely one with only three days to go before the closure of the emergency loan window.

On the prospect of bringing in a replacement, Ferguson, whose side welcome Chesterfield on Tuesday night, said: Possibly. We want someone that is slightly different to what we’ve got - an attacking player.

“We weren’t expecting this to happen but we’ve always been prepared in the sense that we have our targets anyway for certain positions. We’ve got to make sure that it’s the right one.

“Keshi will go back to Crystal Palace now so that leaves us with the four loan players, so possibly we can bring another one in.

“There’s clubs that bring seven or eight in, which is obviously their prerogative, but you can only play five at one time.”

On the unwelcome prognosis regarding Anderson, Ferguson added: “They had to put it back in place and he’s had to go back, we wish him all the best. They’ll give him the treatment that he needs and we wish him well.

“He’s a good lad and you don’t wish to see an injury like that to any of your players.

“Watching it back it did clearly upset quite a few of my players. He’s a lovely boy who was very down understandably.

“He’s young; he’ll recover from that no problem.”