RYMAN ONE NORTH: Great Wakering Rovers will be without influential midfielder Tom Ranger for the remainder of the season after he injured his ankle ligaments in Tuesday’s defeat at Cray Wanderers.

The 21-year-old was taken off inside the opening 20 minutes of the 3-1 defeat after falling awkwardly.

Ranger has scored 14 goals in an impressive first season, since joining from Hullbridge Sports, but manager Dan Trenkel admitted he is now likely to sit over Rovers final five matches.

“He has a very bad ligament sprain and I think he is likely to miss the rest of the season which is a massive blow,” he said.

“It had swollen quite badly by the time we left the ground, but I’m hoping it’s just a standard sprain rather than anything more serious.”

If that is the case Ranger is expected to be out for between four to six weeks, but Trenkel says he will not be rushed back into action with their place in the division all but secure.

“We have no reason to rush him back into action and risk doing it any more damage so we will make sure that he recovers fully before doing anything.”

Rovers’ defeat against Cray was their first in six games, and they went behind shortly after Ranger was withdrawn, with Chris Piper and Nick Humphrey putting the Kent side in charge at the half-time interval.

The visitors did halve the deficit when John Bradley struck for Rovers 13 minutes into the second half.

But they were unable to force an equaliser despite creating a number of promising openings.

And Piper scored a scored in injury-time to seal the result.

Rovers return to action against on Saturday against Cheshunt.

Trenkel’s side sit 11 points above the relegation zone after the defeat.