Blackpool striker Cullen ruled out until 2018

Blackpool striker Mark Cullen is expected to miss the rest of 2017 after a hamstring operation.The 25-year-old sustained the injury sprinting through on goal in the 3-3 draw at Doncaster in August.It was anticipated the striker would make his comeback at Southend a fortnight ago but manager Gary Bowyer revealed that the injury recurred at the very end of the final training session before the visit to Roots |Hall. Cullen went under the knife during the international break and now Bowyer says he will be out for two to three months.The Pool boss said: “Mark Cullen had an operation on his hamstring on Saturday, which has been a real blow for the player first and foremost but also for ourselves because his personality, how he is on the pitch and what he brings to the team we will miss.“We have got to then make sure we go about our business and do as much as we can for him.“(It happened) in the last kick of training before Southend.“I didn’t see it – I just heard him shout. He walked off straight away. He’d done his rehab and he was flying.”Cullen rifled in 10 goals in 11 games to help fire Blackpool back up to League One last term.The striker scored in the 2-1 play-off final win over Exeter in May but spent a chunk of the summer recovering from a foot injury.