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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Sport
David Byrom

Bristol Rovers injury news: Mark Little, Jonson Clarke-Harris and Tyler Smith latest ahead of Cheltenham Town

Bristol Rovers have a couple of injury concerns going into tomorrow night's game with Cheltenham Town.

Rovers host League Two opposition in the EFL Cup but could be without some important players.

However, they have also been boosted by the return of Jonson Clarke-Harris, while Tyler Smith could well play a part after overcoming a virus.

Here is all the latest injury information from Rovers' medical room.

Mark Little

Mark Little tackles Blackpool's James Husband (Robbie Stephenson/JMP)

The right-back went off injured after just eight minutes of Rovers' goalless draw with Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, replaced by Josh Hare. Post-match, Graham Coughlan said Little would be assessed on Sunday, revealing that he had come off due to a feeling of tightness.

It is the second time in a month that Little has been substituted due to tightness, after previously limping off early on during Rovers' pre-season friendly against Birmingham City. That injury was relatively minor, and Coughlan said he hopes it is a similar case this time round.

Speaking on Monday morning, Rovers assistant Joe Dunne said assessments over Little's injury were continuing, but they hoped to have more of an idea later that day. He did also say that the signs were that the injury is better than first feared, meaning it is unlikely Little will be out for too long.

However, it looks unlikely that he will be risked for Cheltenham Town.

Tyler Smith

The on-loan striker came off the bench during Rovers' opening-day defeat to Blackpool, but he was left out of the squad completely for the draw with Wycombe Wanderers.

This was down to a virus, with Rovers opting against taking the risk of including an unwell player in the squad for the game. However, Dunne has confirmed that Smith is back to full health, so he could be in contention to feature against Cheltenham.

Jonson Clarke-Harris

Rovers fans finally got their first chance to see the talismanic striker in action on Saturday as he came off the bench for the final 17 minutes of the draw with Wycombe.

Clarke-Harris is not match fit yet, having missed all of pre-season through injury, and Coughlan admitted on Saturday he is some way behind the rest of the side in terms of fitness. However, the striker is in line to get some minutes against Cheltenham on Tuesday as he continues his return from injuries.

Tareiq Holmes-Dennis

The left-back went under the knife in the summer, missing out on all of pre-season. He is still coming to the training ground on a regular basis and mingling with the squad, but this is viewed more as a way to keep the player's spirits up rather than any serious return to training.

Rovers have been given a three to four month timescale on Holmes-Dennis' return, but Coughlan has said he is keen not to put too much pressure on the player, and is instead happy to let nature take its course before setting a target date for a return.

Sam Matthews

Like Holmes-Dennis, Matthews had a minor operation in the summer that kept him out for the whole of pre-season.

He has also been given a three to four month timescale on his return and is scheduled to begin his rehab in the next couple of weeks.

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