Wayne Rooney fears striker Ryan Hardie could miss Plymouth Argyle's four remaining games over the Christmas and New Year period due to a badly gashed left knee.

Hardie was hurt in the second half of the 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough at Home Park when he raced back to make a challenge on Ben Doak as the 19-year-old Liverpool loan signing sped towards goal.

While it prevented a potential goal for Boro, which would have put them 2-1 up, it also cost Argyle the services of Hardie. After being medically assessed, he was placed on a stretcher and wheeled away to the changing room area, with Andre Gray his 60th minute replacement.

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Hardie was the second Argyle forward to be forced out of the action against Middlesbrough due to injury. Michael Obafemi had to be taken off in only the ninth minute because of a groin problem.

Rooney said about Hardie: "Initially when they looked at Ryan they thought it had gone through his tendon but from assessment it hasn't. It's quite a deep gash, which he has just had stitched up.

"It's in an awkward place really, it's right on the bottom of his knee and bending his leg won't help it heal. I haven't seen it back but when he slid in for the tackle I'm assuming he has caught the lad's stud."

Rooney continued: "I'm a player who has had a lot of them gashes and I think it was the right call to take him off. I'm sure it will probably be the Christmas period he would be out. That's disappointing because I thought he worked really hard today. In the last two games he has done well for us.

"Normally your stitches are in for a week or so but just given where it is, every time he walks or moves he's going to have to bend his leg so it's a tricky one to heal."

Hardie and Obafemi were not the only two Argyle players who had to be substituted because of injury, Brendan Galloway, who had a strong game at left-back, had to make way for Nathanael Ogbeta in the 71st minute.

Rooney said: "Michael felt his groin early on, I'm not sure how serious that is. Brendan is a bit tight in his hamstring so we will see how the two of them are over the next few days."

Argyle are next in action on Thursday when they play their Boxing Day fixture away to Coventry City before travelling to Oxford United on Sunday, December 29.

That will be followed by a New Year's Day meeting with Bristol City at Home Park and a trip to Stoke City on Saturday, January 4, by which time the winter transfer window and Argyle will be desperately hoping to add reinforcements to their injury-hit squad.

Meanwhile, Rooney explained why midfielder Adam Forshaw and defender Julio Pleguezuelo were not in the matchday squad against Middlesbrough.

He said: "Forshy and Jordan (Houghton) both picked up knocks throughout the week and they both trained yesterday. I had to make a decision on one of them being on the bench.

"Pleggy had a bit of an illness throughout the week and trained yesterday. They were decisions I made purely from how I felt the game would go today. They are both available (for the game against Coventry)."

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