Hartlepool United midfielder suffers injury setback

Niang has rarely featured under manager Keith Curle having been forced off during his first game in charge against Gillingham with concussion and then taken off midway through the first half of his league return in the 2-1 defeat to Swindon Town with a hamstring injury.

That injury came in October and, despite Niang hoping he was nearing full fitness last month when speaking with The Mail, the midfielder has suffered a setback in his return to the first team squad according to Curle.

Curle had said Niang was not quite ‘game ready’ ahead of December’s 2-0 win over Crawley Town which led to hopes the Senegal midfielder would be fit for Boxing Day’s trip to Rochdale, after the meeting with Newport County was postponed.

But Niang was not involved as Pools secured back-to-back wins on the road. Nor was he involved in the 2-1 home defeat to Mansfield Town in which Curle conceded afterwards the 23-year-old had suffered a setback.

And with Niang missing the New Year's Day clash with Harrogate Town, Curle has suggested that it is important not to rush him back from the injury to avoid a potentially longer-term problem.

“With Niang we’ve had to be cautious,” Curle revealed to The Mail.

“The kid wants to push on but the injury that he’s had, he was about three or four weeks ahead of schedule which was excellent, but then Niang has gone in to see the physio complaining of a little bit of irritation and Derek [Wright] has pulled him out and said with the type of injury he’s got, if it doesn’t heal now, correctly, and it goes again, you’re talking three-and-a-half, four months.

“So for the sake of another three weeks, we’re stepping back. The lad has done excellent in his recovery and his willingness to work, which has got him ahead of schedule, but the physio department, rightly so, have given the advice that he needs to step it back.”