Barnsley captain Stephen Foster is set for at least three weeks on the sidelines after it was revealed he needs a hernia operation after playing through the pain barrier in recent weeks.
The courageous captain is set to play through the pain once more in Saturday's match at Norwich but will then head to Leicester for his operation.
Reds boss Simon Davey told
www.barnsleyfc.co.uk:"Stephen has been in a lot of pain this week with a hernia and has been to see a specialist in Leicester. He needs an operation and that will put him out for two or three weeks but I will sit down and talk to him to see if he can play through the pain on Saturday. Stephen has to be doubtful for the game though.
"There is a new method of operating on a hernia and they reckon he will be back in training in 12 days so he could even be playing again in three weeks."
Whether Foster makes it or not at the weekend, he wont be joined by any new arrivals as Davey unfortunately returned from his trip to Spain empty-handed but admitted there are deals in the pipeline.
He continued:
There is nothing new transfer-wise at the moment. We are still hopeful of doing something but we are not close to anything. I am not going to comment on where I have been and who I have been watching although I have found some players but whether they will want to come to us is a different matter.
"I am never confident about bringing in new players. You can get them in; have them sitting in the office but it can all fall apart so easily. We have expressed an interest in some players and that is as far as it has gone. We will have to see where it goes to.
"We have not spoken to or about Steve Howard and Andy Bishop is not on our list and we are not interested in him. We have not had any bids for any of our players either."
Davey is more optimistic that he will add a new striker or two to the squad in the 10 week break between the Norwich and Ipswich game.