Collins suffers another injury setback as MK Dons career stalls again
The striker’s torrid start to life at MK Dons took another bad turn this week
Striker Aaron Collins was dealt yet another injury blow early in his MK Dons career and looks set to miss the next two months with a hamstring tear.
The 28-year-old was a big-ticket signing for Paul Warne this summer, with the front man expected to lead the line at Stadium MK having been top-scorer for Bolton Wanderers last season.
But after suffering a broken arm in the opening game of the season against Oldham Athletic, which ruled him out until last Saturday, the striker suffered another injury in training on Thursday.
Confirming the news, head coach Warne said: “Unfortunately, he was training on Thursday and he got twisted up with Aaron Nemane at the start of the session. I looked an innocuous thing but he’s damaged his hamstring tendons so he’s going to be out for six to eight weeks. We thought it was going to be longer but we were told differently today, which is positive but not.
“He’s a big miss. He’s had his arm injury, has trained on his legs a lot, played on Tuesday (against West Ham) as well so he will be a huge blow.”
The front man’s return last week against Chesterfield was eagerly anticipated, and though the midweek Vertu Trophy performance against West Ham U21s was disappointing on the whole, Warne felt Collins’ performance, which saw him score Dons’ only goal in a 5-1 reverse, showed what the side had been missing during his absence.
“Aaron is something special,” Warne added. “Against West Ham, he was picking it up, taking it past people like they were standing still. Losing him is a massive blow, he was a big signing for us in the summer.
“But we haven’t had him for the seven or eight games previously either, so it’s not an excuse.”