SOUTHEND United physiotherapist Ben Clarkson has been left devastated by the Shrimpers’ bad run of injuries.

Ben Coker, Sam Barratt, Lewis Gard and Tom Hopper have all suffered serious knee problems this season while Harry Lennon has been sidelined by a fractured leg.

But Clarkson has studied each of the injuries long and hard and is certain nothing more could have been done to prevent them.

“Each and every time someone gets injured we do take it personally because this isn’t just a job to us, it’s our lives and what’s happened lately has been devastating,” said Clarkson.

“We’ve had more serious injuries this season than we have in the last 12 years put together but we’ve looked into every single one of them and there’s no correlation between any of them.

"We’ve also sent all of the data away to some of the top experts in the sports medicine field and each of the injuries has happened in different circumstances on different pitches.

“We’ve looked at all of the data, footwear and everything you can think of because this has been tough to take.”

Summer signing Barratt injured his knee in a friendly against Stevenage in August while Gard was stretchered off at Colchester United in the Checkatrade Trophy.

Top scorer Hopper was injured against Walsall at Roots Hall while Coker was carried off at Sunderland on Saturday. And the hugely respected Clarkson has looked at footage of all of the injuries.

“Sam’s has been caused by a challenge and you can’t stop that kind of thing happening in football,” said Clarkson.

“The pitch has given way for Ben’s injury and you can see the pain he’s in right away. Tom’s injury is perhaps the most frustrating because if you see him walking around you wouldn’t even know he was injured but what he’s done is similar to Ben.

“I’ve looked again at them all and Lewis has twisted on the pitch awkwardly for his one which unfortunately is probably the most serious of the lot.”

But Clarkson is keen for those who have been forced to the sidelines to follow in the foot-steps of former Blues midfielder Ryan Leonard who recovered strongly from his own cruciate ligament injury.

“When Ryan was injured he worked hard and came back stronger and more athletic than he probably was before the injury,” said Clarkson.

“But that’s no magic wand sadly and they are all severe long-term injuries.”