FORWAD Shaun Tuton's Barrow AFC loan spell has been ended by an ankle injury.

The Barnsley man was hurt in the 2-1 defeat at Maidstone United on April 1, and has not been seen in a Bluebirds shirt since.

Now, AFC manager Paul Cox has said he does not expect Tuton to play again for the club this season, with his ankle ligament damage – similar to that which has sidelined Byron Harrison for almost three months – more serious than first thought.

“Tuton wasn't involved on Saturday (in the 2-2 draw with Woking), said Cox. “The injury was probably a little bit worse than we thought – he soldiered on at Maidstone, but he's gone back to Barnsley and it is a very similar injury to what Byron had with his ankle ligaments.

“I would be very surprised if we see Tuton again with the severity of the injury.”

Cox admitted his disappointment at the loss of Tuton, who has made eight starts and six substitute appearances for AFC – scoring one goal – since arriving from Oakwell in early February.

He added: “He's a quality footballer at this level. The more of them you have to choose from, the better equipped your squad is to cope with the number of games we have had.”