Fleetwood keeper Joel Coleman expects to be out for three to five months

Summer signing Coleman, 24, has been given the number one jersey by boss Joey Barton and started Town’s first two games of the season but was forced off an hour into Saturday’s Carabao Cup win over Wigan.

Coleman tweeted: “Devastated to come away from Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury. Three to five months out but I’ll come back fitter and stronger than ever. The comeback is always bigger than the set back.”

The injury leaves Alex Cairns as the only senior keeper on Town’s books.

The severity of the injury will be a blow to Barton, who was relishing the competition between Coleman and Cairns to be first-choice.

He told The Gazette last week: "Joel has been brought in to compete with Al and we've always wanted competition in the team. You can get a little complacent if there's no-one pushing you. I think competition keeps you on your toes and brings the best out of you on a Saturday or in training, and in recent years I don't think we've had that competition for Al and I don't think he's really been challenged.

"I think we've been lucky bringing Joel in at an age that's young for a goalkeeper and we see enormous potiential in him. At this moment he's in the jersey and it's his job to keep it and Alex's job to wrestle it back. He's done that in the past and I'm fully confident that will be an intriguing competion as the season progresses."