PAUL Crarey has assured Martin Aspinwall he will be allowed to take all the time he needs to recover from the injury despite Barrow Raiders' squad being down on numbers.

The Raiders captain is currently recovering from plastic surgery to repair a damaged eyelid sustained in the home defeat to Widnes nine days ago in an incident which saw him suffer a permanently ruptured tear duct as well.

Last Saturday's 50-0 loss away to Betfred Championship high-flyers Toulouse Olympique saw Jono Smith, Jake Spedding and Stargroth Amean join the lengthening injury list too, but Barrow head coach Crarey is conscious of the risk of rushing Aspinwall back into action.

"The doctors have told him he's got to be very, very careful when he comes back because the piece of skin under his eye is so delicate," said Crarey. "He's damaged his tear duct as well, so we'll just have to see how he comes out of it in a few weeks.

"We won't be rushing him back and he's concerned we need him, which we do, but his health comes first. He's at the back end of his career and we don't want anything to affect his health in terms of his eyesight or things like that.

"We'll give him as much time as he needs and he understands that. It's just an unfortunate thing and our injury list is horrific - probably worse than it was at this stage last season; we're running with probably 18 fit players at the moment."

Smith in particular could be out for an extended period after suffering a suspected fractured cheekbone, with Ryan Duffy, off-season signing Gareth Hock, Declan Hulme and Tee Ritson all long-term absentees as well.

Prop Duffy could well be out for the rest of the season, so the news Alec Susino is returning to the Raiders from Australia this week could hardly have come at a better time.

Even then, however, the Barrow squad is still stretched.

"Tom Walker has got a rib injury, but he's playing with it at the minute because we need him to," said Crarey. "That's the nature of where we were last year and it's unforeseen, but the injury list over the last two years has been horrific.

"It's not just knocks for one or two weeks, but they're five, six, 12 or even the season. Ryan Duffy might be out for the year now and Gareth Hock injured himself in the boxing, and then Tee Ritson and Declan Hulme.

"It's massive to be without that calibre of players week on week and it puts a massive strain on the squad. You'll get away with it in League One, but you won't get away with it in the Championship."