HUDDERSFIELD Town manager Lee Grant has confirmed that midfielder Antony Evans will be out until some time in the autumn after suffering a knee injury during the recent pre-season tour of Austria.

The former Bristol Rovers player, who was laid low for a spell last term with a problematic toe issue, has now picked up a separate problem, with Grant having sympathy for the Liverpudlian.

Grant, who steps out for his first league game in charge of Town at home to Leyton Orient this weekend, said: “Antony Evans, unfortunately in our last game in Austrian, took a knock to his knee in a tackle he has made a million times and executed very well, I am sure.

"Unfortunately a block tackle opened his knee up and that has resulted in Antony seeing a specialist and he’s going to be a number of weeks now. I think we are probably talking a period of six, eight, ten weeks where we are going to miss Antony.

Huddersfield Town midfielder Antony Evans. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

placeholder image — Huddersfield Town midfielder Antony Evans. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

"I am really disappointed for him, particularly with the form he showed over the course of pre-season."

Marcus McGuane, Murray Wallace and Sean Roughan were among players not involved in the final pre-season friendly with Burnley, with Grant conscious of not taking any undue risks.

He added: "We are really mindful – particularly taking Marcus as an example he was in the building for a grand total of 24 hours before we were heading into the first game (v Burnley), it was definitely not the right thing to have him in around the game at the weekend.

"We are in a position we have to make sure we have anyone available to us against Leyton Orient. Burnley wasn’t and isn’t the goal.”

Huddersfield Town's manager Lee Grant in the dug out during the pre-season friendly match against Burnley at Accu Stadium. Photo: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.

So far, Town have made 11 signings in an extensive recruitment programme and while Grant is not ruling further developments, if he and the club deem fit, he is very happy in terms of where the club are currently at.

He said: "Absolutely, I’d be delighted if that’s the case. That’s probably one of the things that I have been most pleased about in that we have managed to do the bulk of our work really early when you look at where we are in the window still.

"I think we have 11 players in terms of incomings and having the bulk of those prior to our first game of the season is incredible really in terms of the work that has gone on behind the scenes.

"I have been really been impressed by that and it’s given us the opportunity to spend more time together as a group which is hugely important at this stage.

"We’re in a good place. We are four weeks away from the end of the window, so can’t rule anything out, but it’s a case of being in a good place now. If we need to ad something or something becomes available which we think is right for the group, then of course, we will be in a position to react to that. But right now, the focus is definitely on Saturday.”