Rachubka Out For The Season

Ian Holloway has revealed in his pre-match press conference for Saturday's game against Aston Villa that goalkeeper Paul Rachubka is set to miss the rest of the season through injury.

Rabs had just regained the number one jersey after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but this morning suffered a major set-back in training, with the keeper believed to have suffered a reoccurence of the lateral meniscus injury that sidelined him for the first half of this season.

Speaking in the press conference, Ollie said:

'The symptoms are exactly the same, it was caused by the same movement and it's in the same area with the same severity of swelling. My physio thinks he's done it again. It's the worst thing in the world for him.'

Rabs' injury leaves Blackpool with just Richard Kingson left to select from between the sticks (Mark Halstead has joined Kettering on loan until the end of the season), and with Kingson having recently been dropped from the side, 'Pool's manager is set to plead with the Premier League to allow him to bring in a keeper on an emergency loan:

'We`ll have to try and do something in the transfer market, we now only have one fit goalkeeper and hopefully common sense will prevail and the Premier League will allow us to bring someone in.'

Could the Seasiders make a move for Man City goalkeeper Shay Given? They enquired about his services on loan during the transfer window, but it is believed that a combination of his wages and Man City's unwillingness to lose him in case Joe Hart got injured (last season Given got injured after they loaned Joe Hart out to Birmingham) put paid to any deal.

However, with Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks set to return to action next month, a short term loan might work well for both parties.

As always, we'll have all the news as it happens right here on Vital.

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