'He's been very unlucky': Blackpool boss provides update on Nathan Delfouneso's injury

The 28-year-old returned to Pool's squad last Saturday after missing the previous three games with a hamstring complaint he sustained in last month's draw against Gillingham.

Brought on as a second-half substitute against Coventry, Delfouneso was forced to hobble off the pitch with just three minutes remaining with what most assumed was a recurrence of his hamstring injury.

The Seasiders, who had already made three changes, had to end the game with 10 men and conceded a late goal to lose the game.

But Grayson, speaking today to preview Saturday's game against Milton Keynes, revealed the injury was a different to the one Delfouneso suffered earlier in the campaign.

He said: “You have to feel sorry for the lad, he’s been very unlucky because it’s not the same injury he picked up at Gillingham. It’s in a different area.

“He was stretched off enough, he was good. But he just turned in a direction that meant he felt his hamstring.

“He will be ruled out for a couple of weeks now, so it’s really poor luck from his point of view.

“He was fine before the injury, so to get a different one can be counted as very unlucky.

“When he came on he looked very lively and sharp and we thought he could help us get back in the game.

“But these things can happen. It just summed up the afternoon where we were comfortable to losing the game with 10 men.”

Delfouneso is the only Pool player, other than Mark Howard, to be ruled out for Saturday's game against Bloomfield Road, with Rocky Bushiri and Jordan Thompson returning from international duty.

Grayson added: “Other than Nathan I think we’re okay.

“Jordan Thompson has come back in good spirits after making his first Northern Ireland start and was then on the bench against Germany.

“Rocky played 10 minutes in the second game, not the first one.

“So the international boys have come back and everybody else is okay.”