Plymouth hit by injury blow as key man Taylor is ruled out of Cobblers trip

The big target man has only scored a modest six goals in his 23 appearances this season, but he is key to the way the Pilgrims play and has been an integral part of their surge from the relegation zone to play-off contenders.

He missed almost four months of the season after breaking his ankle in August, but since his return to the team Argyle have lost just two of the 21 matches he has played in.

Taylor is the focal point of the Pilgrims’ attack, bringing the rest of the team into play, but he is set to be replaced by Joel Grant for the trip to Sixfields, and he has played only once since December.

Argyle manager Derek Adams confirmed: “Ryan’s out for Saturday. He has got an ankle injury and he’s still feeling sore.

“We are hopeful it’s not long. It just depends on how quickly it settles down.

“The ankle has got to settle down and he has got to feel comfortable to play.”

“That’s the way it is. It’s not a serious injury but it’s just something that is keeping him out at this moment in time.”