Plymouth Argyle’s hopes of survival have been dealt a huge blow, with defender Maksym Talovierov set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
The 24-year-old was hurt towards the end of the team’s 3-2 loss to relegation rivals Derby County earlier this month.
Following the game, the Ukrainian joined up with his international teammates ahead of their UEFA Nations League play-off games but swiftly returned to Plymouth for more treatment.
It is understood the injury will keep Talovierov out for eight to nine weeks, meaning it is almost a certainty the defender will miss the rest of the campaign.
Since joining the club in a ‘record fee’ move from Austrian side LASK, the Ukrainian has been a key part of Argyle’s defence. Playing 11 times, the defender has started every available game, netting two goals, one in an important draw with fellow relegation candidates Luton Town. In his 11 appearances, Talovierov has completed 90 minutes all but once.
Manager Miron Muslic confirmed the injury and spoke of the player’s disappointment to miss the run-in.
“He’s very disappointed because the season is over and he can’t support us anymore. We all know Maksym now in the last two months, he’s a fighter, good spirit, top lad, good character.
“He’s very down but this is also an opportunity for him to recover, to heal, he will get the full support of Plymouth Argyle, of all of us, and then he has to bounce back. (via Plymouth Herald)”
Losing Talovierov is the latest bit of bad news for the Pilgrims after Brendan Galloway’s season-ending leg injury suffered in January. Forward Muhamed Tijani is unlikely to feature for the rest of the season as he struggles with hamstring issues and Julio Pleguezuolo is set to miss time with a rib injury.
The Pilgrims task of staying up is huge and seems to be getting harder day by day. In their remaining fixtures, the team play three promotion chasing teams back-to-back. The games against Watford, Norwich City and Swansea City could be huge, or the side could be gone before they even get to a last day showdown with Preston North End.
Plymouth sits six points from safety with eight games remaining. With just three recognised central defenders set to be available for Saturday’s trip to Watford, that gap will feel bigger than it already is.
