Huddersfield Town loanee and Wolves man left 'unbelievably frustrated' at setback plus Michael Duff on Rhys Healey and Tamworth

Hodge joins first-choice keeper Lee Nicholls (shoulder), striker Josh Koroma (back) and key defender Michal Helik (hamstring) on the sidelines, with Radinio Balker being a long-term casualty.

On Hodge, who joined on a season-long loan from Premier League outfit Wolves ahead of the closure of the summer window, Duff, whose side host Bristol Rovers in League One on Saturday, said: "We didn’t think it was great at the time and in terms of timescales, we’ve been told eight weeks as a starting point.

"He’s basically pulled a little bit of his groin bone. He’s unbelievably frustrated.

"He’s had to wait a couple of weeks, gets his chance and does well. We’re trying to make a sub for three or four minutes to bring him off and he does the mechanism in that three or four minutes.

"It’s unfortunate for him and us, but he’ll just have to get his head down and work hard now.”

Duff confirmed that top-scorer Koroma is still a ‘good bit away’ from a return to the fray, while Rhys Healey will be assessed ahead of Saturday’s game following a bout of illness earlier this week - which forced him to go off in a club B team fixture.

Duff added: "Josh is still a good bit away. Because it’s his back, it’s one of those. Normally, with injury, you can strengthen, but he’s been on total rest.

“I think he was on the AlterG (anti-gravity treadmill) today or yesterday, which is a progressive sign. But in terms of starting games, he’s a good bit away."

On Healey, the Town chief commented: "He was not feeling great before the game and asked for some sort of anti-sickness tablet. He had a really high temperature and saw the doctor straightaway and got sent out of the building immediately.

"He’s been in today and we just need to make a judgement call on if has he played enough minutes and is he well enough to be involved and if he at risk if we do throw him in.

"Other than feeling a little bit sick on the night, he’s absolutely fine.”

Meanwhile, Town’s FA Cup tie at National League outfit Tamworth has been selected for TV coverage on Friday, November 1 on BBC2.

On the David-versus Goliath first-round match-up, Duff said: “We have to accept the challenge and it’s part of the mindset and whole thing we have been talking about in dealing with that sort of expectation and pressure of going there and being expected to win - but it’s the FA Cup and that’s why the cameras are there.

"You just deal with what you are dealt with.”

On what he knows about Tamworth as a team and if he has any connections, he said: "No, I know Tamworth Services quite well and have stayed there quite a lot!

"I don’t know a lot, but know quite a few people in the Midlands and we’ve already had a team report from someone I know.

"It will be a big game for them and we have to make sure it’s not more important to them that it is for us.”