Bristol Rovers dealt huge player blow - It's not what Inigo Calderon needs | OneFootball

The news has come at the worst possible time for the Gas

Bristol Rovers are going to be without striker Chris Martin for the remainder of the season.

The update on the forward’s injury was provided by Bristol Live reporter Dan Hargraves via his X account.

Martin suffered a knock to his knee which saw him miss recent games against Lincoln City and Crawley Town, but at that stage boss Inigo Calderon was waiting for news on the severity of the setback.

The 36-year-old is due to be out of contract at the end of the season, so it remains to be seen what this setback means for his Rovers future.

Bristol Rovers striker Chris Martin is out for the rest of the season

Hargraves update revealed that Martin has played his last game of the 2024/25 season due to his knee injury.

The journalist went on to state that the veteran striker had surgery on Monday (24 March) to correct the issue, with his recovery time presumably taking him beyond the season’s close.

To make things worse, it was also revealed that young midfielder Kamil Conteh is also unlikely to return in this campaign, having been sidelined towards the end of December.

With Martin’s age, contract status and an undetermined but likely lengthy recovery period, Hargraves admitted that he is “not sure what that means” for the striker’s future at the club, alluding to the fact he may have played his last-ever game for the Gas.

Martin will be a huge miss for the Gas

Despite his advanced years in footballing terms, Martin has been a vital player in Calderon’s side this season, topping the club’s goal involvement chart in League One with five goals and four assists.

It continues a strong 2023/24 performance, which saw him net 16 goals in 34 third-tier appearances, having signed on a free transfer when he couldn’t agree terms with former club Queens Park Rangers.

In his most recent appearance for the Gas, Martin notched two crucial strikes against play-off chasers Bolton Wanderers to bag an all-important three points.

But that could be his final contribution, as Rovers will now need to do without him for the final eight games of the season.

Bristol Rovers lose most creative player in tightrope run-in

The news could scarcely have come at a worse time for Calderon.

His side are currently just one place above the League One relegation zone, six points clear of Burton Albion below them.

It may seem like a comfortable cushion, but Burton’s superior goal difference means one more win for the Brewers will have Rovers rightly panicking.

Worse still, the Gas have Birmingham City, Bolton, Wrexham, Reading and Blackpool in their last eight games, all sides inside the top 10 who will all be hopeful of a play-off place or better.

Given the timing of the news, Martin’s recent vital contributions and the opposition coming up, you could forgive Rovers fans for feeling this latest update is an ominous sign for the club’s survival chances.