Billy Kirkman could be set for a lengthy spell out of the team after he suffered a knee injury having come on as a substitute for Swindon Town against Barrow.

After George Cox started Saturday’s win over The Bluebirds, he was replaced in the second half by Kirkman, but he only lasted nine minutes before coming off injured.

The 20-year-old had come off at halftime against Birmingham City as a precaution due to having a sore ankle but was deemed fit enough to come back into the squad five days later and was called upon when Cox, who had only just returned from a foot injury, needed to come off.

Ian Holloway said that Kirkman believed it could have been a medial collateral ligament injury, which is in the knee, which could see him out for five to seven weeks.

This adds to Swindon’s injury issues, with Joel McGregor, Harrison Minturn, Grant Hall, and Miguel Freckleton all out injured, meaning that Kirkman was the only defender on the bench on Saturday.

He said: “It doesn’t look good. Simply because he has had an MCL before, that is in the knee and you lose stability; he has had it in his other knee and he said that it felt the same.

“That is why he looked so desperate [as he was coming off] and that is the only downer for me.

“He has been exceptional, and I only didn’t pick him because I was worried about his ankle.

“That is a real downer for the boy and I said to him ‘You will be a player for us, son, to do what you have done is amazing and it will only be a few months. You will get over it, you will be fine, and you are going to have a future here.’

“We don’t know yet [exactly what he has done], it doesn’t look good at the moment.

“He went on because Coxy was saying that he was feeling something.

“He has done well to come back as quickly as he has because we thought he was going to be out for six to eight weeks and now he’s not.

“They all want to play and that is a good thing and they are all telling me that they are fit.

“I almost didn’t pick Billy, I almost had Anthony [McCormick] instead of Billy but I went with a bit more experience and I wish I hadn’t now.”