Matt Taylor has revealed that Connor Taylor has undergone surgery to fix an ongoing knee problem that has troubled the Bristol Rovers defender throughout the majority of the second half of the season so that he can hopefully head into next campaign without any more bother.
The 22-year-old picked up a separate hamstring injury in the first couple of minutes of Rovers' 2-0 defeat to Peterborough United last weekend but Taylor has also apparently been playing through pain and discomfort since his return to action in early March after missing just over a month with said knee issue that was initially picked up in January.
How quickly the centre-back can make a return to full fitness is yet to be seen but, with just one game remaining of the season before the summer break ahead of pre-season starting around the end of June/early July, now was the right time for Taylor to have the surgery and hopefully nip the problem in the bud.
"Connor Taylor, interesting one," the Gas manager declared. "Obviously damaged his hamstring in the first minute against Peterborough. He has had this knee complaint for a period of time now and the specialists have scanned the knee as well as the hamstring. So the hamstring has got a serious enough injury as it is but he's actually having surgery today to clean out his knee so a bit of a trim of the cartilage and a clean out of the joint in relation to that knee which might have been affecting that hamstring as well.
"He's probably played in a bit of pain and discomfort for too long now. I think it was the Norwich game first and then the Exeter game in terms of aggravating that knee injury and then he came back but he's not been quit right in relation to that. So if the recovery period from the hamstring injury is six to eight weeks, the recovery from the knee surgery will be the same so it's not set him back in anyway but obviously we've got to be mindful of what he looks like when he comes back day one of pre-season and I suppose if he was ever going to do it then I suppose now would be a good time. Bar Saturday, he doesn't miss any more competitive football than what he needs to.
"Any footballer or past footballer," Taylor added. "I've had three of them in the same knee and one in the other, we've all got history of these little cartilage trims and a little clean out. You've just got to make sure that a clean out doesn't turn into another one because then all of a sudden you've got nothing left to hold your knee joint together.
"We're confident that he will be absolutely fine, I need to say that, but just in terms of where the hamstring injury was, he's out having surgery today and we wish him all the best."
In terms of other players who could be available or absent, Jack Hunt has been ruled out with a calf issue that he is getting a scan on while James Wilson could return having picked up a hamstring issue away at Cheltenham Town.
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The centre-back was thought to be in line for a return against Peterborough last weekend having received positive scan results following the injury but it came just too soon. However, the defender could be involved at Wigan.
"He's got a chance," Taylor revealed. "We had an honest conversation on Friday going into the game and he could still feel something. He could have played and got through it no problem but to feel something going into a game, and he's a sprinter and a mover, especially when he was slowing down and speeding up again with a hamstring was just too big a worry.
"So if that had been a cup final or a different type of game then I think he would have played and then we don't know what the outcome of it would have been but that extra few days has just diluted that uncomfortable feeling and sensation that he was having and he's trained today so as long as he doesn't react in any way tomorrow then he has a real chance."
