Brady 'heartbroken' as a third Cobblers player is ruled out for the season

Ali Koiki has become the third Cobblers player to be ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury after Ben Fox and Tyler Magloire.

The left-back sustained a hamstring injury during Saturday’s win over Crawley Town and had to be taken off at half-time. He was subsequently sent for a scan and the results confirmed the worst – a serious tear that will keep him sidelined for a significant period of time, well beyond the current season.

That leaves Cobblers light in defence with Magloire and Akin Odimayo also currently injured and Aaron McGowan facing a three-game ban unless his red card is overturned.

"Unfortunately Ali’s season will be done as well,” confirmed manager Jon Brady. “He’s taken a significant injury from the weekend and we won’t see him again this season.

"We have taken some serious injuries to important players and the hardest thing for a manager is that we have not only fantastic players but also fantastic people in the building and it’s heartbreaking to see young players suffer these injuries.

"They can really make a difference to the team but obviously they won’t be able to and the way they have taken these injuries – Tyler and Foxy putting their bodies on the line for the team and Ali with his threatening runs behind the back-line.

"We have a group of players who really put themselves on the line and give everything to the cause, but it will galvanise us and we will keep fighting for them and for the group. It’s frustrating but it could be an incredible story that, against all odds, we kick on and finish the season strongly. We just have to turn it into a positive.”