Harrison Minturn will not be out for as long as first feared at Swindon Town as it was revealed that his injury will not require surgery.

Swindon have had a spate of defensive injuries of late, with Minturn being one of four players unavailable at the moment along with Miguel Freckleton, Grant Hall, and Ollie Clarke.

Ian Holloway revealed last week that the academy graduate had been due to start against Wycombe Wanderers in the Vertu Trophy, but limped off during training the day before the game.

Town’s boss said that he feared based on Minturn’s description of what had happened that he could have Gilmore’s Groin, which could take between six and eight weeks to heal.

However, speaking after the 1-0 defeat at Bradford City on Saturday, Holloway said that after the defender had been scanned the diagnosis is better than initially thought.

He said: “It is not as bad as we thought, he doesn’t need an operation.

“He has got some swelling in an area where it is very difficult to get rid of swelling, there is inflammation in his groin area.

“It could have needed an operation if it was his inguinal ring that needed sewing up, but it is not that.

“It will probably be weeks rather than months, which is good news.”

Having had a packed start to December, Swindon have some respite this week before the notoriously hectic festive fixture list kicks in against Grimsby Town on Saturday.

Clarke made a return to the side against Fleetwood Town playing as a right-sided centre-back but picked up a yellow card which meant he missed the league trip to Bradford, Holloway added ahead of playing Wycombe Wanderers that he would not have made the trip anyway.

He said: “He has got a tight calf. Because he came back after three weeks instead of four weeks and had two days on the grass.

“That shows what a warrior is and I think he is going to have a sauna and put his calves on ice.”

Holloway said that he was excited to have the full week to continue his players’ progression in his style and also to get captain Clarke back from both suspension and injury.

He said: “It really is very useful [to have a free week ahead of facing Grimsby].

“Hopefully we will have Ollie back because that will make a big difference but I think that the boys have made a huge step forward.”