Harrogate Town's Middlesbrough FC loanee Calum Kavanagh could play again this season after 'horrific' challenge

Harrogate Town have received a rare piece of positive news on the injury front.
Calum Kavanagh in action during Harrogate Town's 2-0 League Two defeat at Salford City. Pictures: Matt KirkhamCalum Kavanagh in action during Harrogate Town's 2-0 League Two defeat at Salford City. Pictures: Matt Kirkham
Calum Kavanagh in action during Harrogate Town's 2-0 League Two defeat at Salford City. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

Just 24 hours after goalkeeper Mark Oxley became the fifth Sulphurites player to be ruled out for the rest of the season, Simon Weaver confirmed that on-loan striker Calum Kavanagh could yet play some part in the club’s five remaining fixtures.

The highly rated 18-year-old had to be substituted after an hour of Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Salford City following a reckless challenge from behind by Ammies skipper Jason Lowe, leaving Town fearing the worst.

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But, unlike Oxley, who suffered a fracture of the fibula later in the same game, X-ray results have shown that Kavanagh has escaped without breaking a bone.

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver.Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver.
Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver.

Thus, parent club Middlesbrough have given him the all-clear to return to Harrogate, with Weaver expecting the Republic of Ireland youth international to report back for training on Thursday morning.

“Calum’s X-ray has revealed that he hasn’t sustained a fracture, which is surprising, but obviously really good news for both the lad and for us,” Town’s manager told the Harrogate Advertiser.

“He’s able to walk on the leg now and Middlesbrough have sent him back to us so we are hoping that he will be able to play some part between now and the end of the season.

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“We haven’t had news like this all season. Almost every time a player has picked up an injury, it’s tended to be that scans have showed that the damage is worse than we were expecting.

“Out of the two injuries we sustained on Saturday, it definitely seemed as if Calum’s was the more serious given the state he was left in. We thought he’d suffered a break, he couldn’t walk, it really didn’t look good at all

“As it turns out, it’s Mark Oxley who has fractured his fibula. It seems as if Calum’s must just be a really nasty impact injury, and that means that we are hopeful that he will be okay to play again sooner rather than later.”

Salford captain Lowe was only shown a yellow card by referee Andrew Kitchen for the challenge that ended Kavanagh’s game, a decision that Weaver took issue with.

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“It was a horrific challenge and I’m sure their lad will be disappointed when he watches it back. He has left Calum’s leg in a right mess,” the Harrogate chief added.

“He’s smashed him from behind, both feet off the ground and he’s out of control.

“In fairness to the referee, he’s played a good advantage and waved play on at the time because we had a great opportunity to counter-attack. But then he’s only shown a yellow card.

“When I spoke to him about the decision, he said it’s not a red because it was just reckless, and it needed to be excessive to warrant a sending off. I asked him how far a challenge has to go before it’s a red card?”

“He [Lowe] should have been sent off, without question and to be fair to them, Salford’s manager and all of his staff even said it’s a red all day long.”