Lincoln City already have solution to exits of stars linked to Bolton, Huddersfield & Barnsley | OneFootball

While headaches remain at Lincoln City over the futures of two of their key stars, a ready-made solution is already be at the club.

While headaches remain at Lincoln City over the futures of two of their key stars, a ready-made solution is already at the club.

The Imps risk losing Sean Roughan and Paudie O’Connor this summer, with the defensive pair both seeing their contracts come to an end.

But, Michael Skubala has revealed a boost that could be a real problem-solver for the Lincoln head coach.

Imps defender Lewis Montsma back to full fitness

Dutch centre-back Lewis Montsma has seen his minutes monitored since returning from the latest in a string of hefty knee injuries.

He was limited to playing just once per week, and when the grind of Saturday to Tuesday turnarounds kept coming around for Lincoln, he lacked consistency in his selection.

However, Skubala recently revealed, in an interview with BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Red Imps Club podcast, that the process of easing Montsma back into gametime was so he could now take a fully-fledged place in the matchday squad for the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Lincoln head coach has said that the 27-year-old will now be available more than the limiting ‘one game per week’ allowance that was hampering his playing time.

Montsma, who joined the Imps in 2020, has since had two separate ACL injuries. Lincoln have stood by him in the recent season and followed their own medical advice to only play him once per week.

But, with Skubala now ensuring that the Dutchman will no longer be limited by his injury timeline, he will be a major cog in the Lincoln machine next term.

He will be one of the four central defenders that the Imps boss wants at the club when the ball gets rolling for another season, something he confirmed to BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

However, if O’Connor will be among that list remains to be seen.

Lincoln City look set for major defensive shift

The Imps captain is out of contract this summer, and unlike left-back Sean Roughan, will not see Lincoln receive a compensation fee if he exits the club.

However, while the future of O’Connor at City remains an ever-present doubt, there can be some solace taken in the fact that Montsma is now back among the Imps backline with no strings attached in terms of his fitness limitations.

No end of Sky Bet Championship clubs, including Derby County and Stoke City, have been linked to the Irish centre-back, with fellow countryman Roughan having similar levels of interest from, most notably, Sky Bet League One’s Bolton Wanderers.

O'Connor has seen links to Huddersfield Town and Barnsley too, as Football League World has reported, with his signature being sought after up and down the divisions. That has come as no surprise after impressing as a strong, hard-nosed centre-back at the Imps over recent seasons.

The puzzle of replacing Lincoln academy product Roughan if he leaves the club is a more difficult one entirely, but in Montsma, the Imps have a ready-made replacement to one of their potentially leaving players.

Roughan has been linked to Bolton, who are said to be lining up an agreement for the full-back. He would be difficult to replace, with the boost of Montsma's return to full fitness no help in fulfilling the role of the Republic of Ireland youth international.

There always remains a lingering thought that his injuries could resurface once again, but the imposing Dutchman has been given the best possible chance of continuing a long and lasting career by Lincoln’s behind-the-scenes staff.