Why former Hartlepool United striker Man Dieseruvwe could be set to miss Pools reunion with Rochdale
Former Hartlepool United striker Mani Dieseruvwe could be set to miss Tuesday night's reunion with his old side after sustaining a heel injury towards the end of Rochdale's game against Southend.
The 30-year-old has missed Dale's last two matches following a knock on his heel picked up against the Shrimpers earlier this month moments before the match was abandoned.
Indeed, Dale boss Jimmy McNulty admitted he was preparing to be without the talismanic frontman over the Christmas and New Year period, with veteran Ian Henderson, who scored a sublime lob in Boxing Day's win over strugglers Morecambe, starting the last two matches in his place.
It means Dieseruvwe looks unlikely to be included in the squad for Tuesday night's visit of Pools, which would have been the first time he faced off against his former side since his summer departure.
The striker enjoyed a prolific two-year spell with Pools after signing from Halifax in July 2023, scoring 43 goals in 89 games and establishing himself as a hugely popular figure among fans.
Dieseruvwe's future dominated large parts of the second half of last season, with the club first offering the frontman a new contract in January.
However, after Pools and the talismanic striker failed to agree a deal, his departure started to feel inevitable, especially after chairman Raj Singh's sudden and unexpected resignation threw the club into chaos.
Dieseruvwe said at the end of the season that he wanted the club's ambition to match his own but it wasn't long before rumours of interest from Rochdale, who finished fourth last season and thumped Pools 5-1 on the penultimate weekend of the campaign, started to spread.
Despite holding talks with new Pools boss Simon Grayson, Dieseruvwe agreed to sign for Rochdale in July and become one of a number of high-profile departures over the summer, with long-serving attacker Joe Grey leaving to join rivals York.
So far, Dieseruvwe's time in Greater Manchester has proven productive, with his 12 goals in 18 matches firing Dale to the top of the National League table, two points clear of second-placed Boreham Wood with two games in hand.
For Pools, by contrast, a lack of goals has started to become a major talking point this term, with Alex Reid, Danny Johnson, Jermaine Francis and Matty Daly, signed as attacking replacements for Dieseruvwe over the summer, managing a meagre eight goals in 87 games between them.
Whether or not Dieseruvwe features in midweek, Dale will come into the game in vastly better form than Pools, with the Greater Manchester outfit having won their last seven games in all competitions, whereas Nicky Featherstone's side are without a victory in their previous four matches.
While Dale look likely to be without Dieseruvwe, they're certain to be without home comforts on Tuesday, with the game set to be played at Accrington Stanley's Crown Arena, known as the Wham Stadium for sponsorship reasons, while urgent work takes place to install a new drainage system as well as a new hybrid pitch at Spotland.