Wayne Rooney confirms big Plymouth Argyle blow ahead of Portsmouth clash | OneFootball

The Dutchman has been one of the Pilgrims' main attacking threats during the 24/25 campaign

Plymouth Argyle boss Wayne Rooney has confirmed that Dutch winger Ibrahim Cissoko will be out for the next couple of months, in a big blow to the Greens’ attacking ranks.

The Toulouse FC loanee was expected to return to the side for Tuesday night’s encounter with Portsmouth at Fratton Park, after missing the last three matches through suspension, but the Pilgrims boss has confirmed otherwise.

The news surrounding the winger is the latest setback for Argyle in their battle at the bottom of the Championship table, with defenders Lewis Gibson and Joe Edwards out for the foreseeable future, as well as frontman Muhamed Tijani.

Having gone down 3-0 to Leeds United at the weekend without mustering a single shot, Rooney will be looking for a response in midweek back on home turf, with two of the bottom three going head to head.

Plymouth Argyle rocked by Ibrahim Cissoko injury news

Cissoko’s reported two-month absence is a major blow for Rooney and his side, with the Dutchman providing plenty of moments of magic during the early stages of his loan from the Ligue 1 side.

Having notched his first goal of the campaign in a 1-1 draw with Hull City earlier in the campaign, the Netherlands under-21 star also grabbed a brace as the Pilgrims saw off Luton Town 3-1 at Home Park back in September.

A red card for violent conduct against Cardiff City saw the 21-year-old miss clashes with Millwall, Preston North End and Leeds over the past fortnight, with the Devon outfit picking up just one point in his absence.

And while the Green Army would have been looking forward to his return to first-team action this month, Rooney confirmed otherwise in his pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon.

The Argyle boss said, via their official X account: "The only person coming into the squad will be Darko [Gyabi]. Ibrahim Cissoko won't be available for a couple of months. It's a big blow for us. On the other hand, we've got young Freddie [Issaka], Tegan, Moose [Mustapha Bundu] who can come in.

"We're expecting a tough game, they've got a lot of energy. Man-to-man, out of possession, they like to get to the ball. It'll be an entertaining game for sure, but we hope to come out on top."

Ibrahim Cissoko adds to Wayne Rooney’s injury list at Plymouth Argyle

The injuries keep totting up for Argyle of late, with Cissoko joining Gibson, Edwards and Tijani on the sidelines, with the depth of the squad being pushed to its limits of late.

Rooney confirmed last month that central defender Gibson will be ruled out until after the international break, meaning he will miss the clash with Pompey, as well as the upcoming weekend trip to Derby County.

Club captain Edwards was forced off during the 3-3 draw with Preston last month with a hamstring injury, with the defender said to be out until the New Year after assessment.

Loan striker Tijani will also be facing a considerable time on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, with the Nigerian, who was borrowed from Slavia Prague in the summer, said to be out until February after undergoing surgery.

That leaves Rooney down to the bare bones in terms of squad selection for the next few weeks, with academy prospects such as Freddie Issaka, Tegan Finn and Caleb Roberts all being given first-team minutes as they look to make the step up to the professional game.