FORWARD Rhys Turner faces six weeks on the Barrow AFC sidelines after breaking a bone in his foot.

The striker – a player manager Ian Evatt feels is good enough for League One – fractured a metatarsal in Saturday’s 2-2 National League draw at Leyton Orient.

Turner will have his foot put in a cast and will miss around 10 matches as he becomes the latest AFC man to be hit by an early- season injury.

Already, defenders Matt Elsdon (knee) and Brian Wilson (calf) are sidelined, while Jacob Blyth (dislocated shoulder) and Joel Dixon (knee surgery) are still recovering from long-term problems.

Turner’s place in the AFC team to face Chesterfield tonight is set to be taken by either Nathan Waterston – who came on in his place in the first half at Brisbane Road – or Raul Correia – who scored the late equaliser for the Bluebirds in the same match.

“It’s not good – he’s got a fractured metatarsal and he’s going to be out for at least six weeks,” said Evatt.

“As he’s gone past a player, the player has brought him down and his foot has got caught under the player’s backside as he has gone to ground – it’s just unlucky really. It’s not ideal, but it is what it is.

“He’ll have to be in a boot for a few weeks, and then let it settle down and let the bone heal. We’ll have to rehab him accordingly.”

He added: “We’ve got Nathan, there’s Raul – who came on and scored – and there’s Lee Molyneux available. We’ve got a few options.”

Blyth is back in training, but Evatt is not willing to risk him so soon, the striker having been hurt in the pre-season opener against Furness Select at Rakesmoor Lane.

“He’s training with us non- contact at the moment,” said Evatt. “He’s just building up his strength in the shoulder. I don’t really want to rush him, because it’s important with it being such a long season that he comes back and he is fit, strong and confident in the injury. We’re going to play it by ear with him, but I wouldn’t think it would be longer than a couple of weeks though.”

Molyneux is available for the first time for AFC after serving a three-match for a red card picked up while playing for Chorley in the National League North play-offs last season.

He comes into contention for a game against a side flying high with three wins from three so far this season.

Evatt’s former club have yet to concede a goal this season, but the Barrow boss – who admits it will be slightly surreal to be facing the Spireites – hopes to bring them down to earth.

He said: “It will be strange. I have nothing but admiration for them as a football club – the supporters are fantastic, it’s a fantastic club, and it shouldn’t be in this division. But it is, so it’s important for us to try to get three points. They’ve started the season really well and it’s great to see them winning games again. They’ve appointed an excellent manager who knows the division really well, so it’s going to be a tough game. But, as I’ve said many times, if we play how we can play, then we’re more than a match for anybody in this league.

“We’ve got a way of playing that hurts the opposition. We create chances – as you’ve seen in all three games.

“If we’re on our game and we do the things that we work on week-in, week-out at training, then there’s no reason why we can’t score goals past them.”

He added: “I’d like them to finish second to us. It’s just one of those things – everything goes out of the window because I’m manager of Barrow, I’m trying to get Barrow three points against a team I have great admiration for.

“I know a lot of them, and I know some of the ones they have signed. Obviously, that’s an advantage, because I know what their strengths and weaknesses are.

“We’ll be playing to gain an advantage in whatever way we can.”