GOALKEEPER Joel Dixon and midfielder Andy Parry have both suffered major setbacks in their recoveries from knee surgery.

The duo joined up with the Barrow AFC squad for pre-season training at the end of last month, hoping to earn new contracts after missing the majority of last term.

But each has seen their hopes scuppered and they face up to three more months on the sidelines.

Dixon, who needed cruciate ligament surgery after being hurt during the 3-0 win over Guiseley last November, has a problem with a build-up of fluid on the knee whenever he trains.

He is due to travel to St George’s next week for an injection, but will not be back in action until October at the earliest.

Manager Paul Cox – who has former Celtic keeper Colin McCabe on trial with AFC at present, having signed ex-Luton and Reading man Stuart Moore earlier in the summer – knows it is a blow for Dixon.

Cox said: “Joel is going to be out now for the foreseeable future. He’s going to St George’s within the next 10 days, and he has to have an injection in his knee, because he has a lot of fluid on there.

“He did his cruciate, and he has come back from his rehab, but every time he seems to do something of a physical nature, the knee balloons up. He’s had another scan, he has been to see a specialist, and he will go to St George’s to have the injection which we hope will speed up the process. After such a major operation as on his ACL, we could be talking 10 to 12 weeks after that.

“We don’t want to go into the season with one goalkeeper. That makes it so important to bring one in. It is an area that needs prioritising, because we don’t want to leave ourselves open when the season starts.”

He added: “You’ve got to feel for the lad. He has worked extremely hard in the summer to come back, but he has had complications. We will support all our injured players, and give them the best possible treatment that we can, but we also have to plan accordingly, because the beginning of the season is going to be intense, and we can’t afford to cut any corners if, as a football club, we want to be successful.”

Parry had been training with AFC, before feeling a problem during an exercise, which has revealed the need for further surgery.

He too will sit out a further 12 weeks, and Cox said: “Andy is definitely out for about three months. He pulled up in an 11-versus-11 game in pre-season with some discomfort. It appears there is a bit of cartilage floating around in his knee that needs a flush out.

“I’m on the understanding that he is going to go back in, have a flush out of his knee. That will be the same sort of time-frame as with Joel – at least 10 to 12 weeks.

“We will give the boys as much care as we can to get them fit.”