Plymouth Argyle Defender Alex Hartridge Faces Month Out

Plymouth Argyle have been dealt a significant early-season blow with defender Alex Hartridge facing up to a month on the sidelines after damaging ankle ligaments.

The 27-year-old, a free-transfer arrival in the summer, picked up the injury late on in Saturday’s 3-2 win at Doncaster Rovers after coming off the bench. What looked like a routine run-out to help see out the game has turned into a spell in the treatment room.

Hartridge had been an ever-present for Argyle this season, underlining his importance to Tom Cleverley’s plans. He even marked his debut with a goal in the Carabao Cup against former club Exeter City, a neat early marker of what he could offer at both ends of the pitch.

Now Cleverley must do without him.

“He’s another unfortunate one,” the head coach told BBC South West, cutting a frustrated but pragmatic figure as he ran through a growing absentee list.

Hartridge joins a lengthening queue. Michael Baidoo is already ruled out until November with a hamstring problem, while Malachi Boateng and Jack MacKenzie are also missing. For a squad still bedding in under new management, four key players out is a serious test of depth.

Cleverley, though, refused to pin the situation on workload or planning.

“We’ve got four boys out at the minute, Macca is one we’ve carried from last year and two from innocuous challenges with Alex and Malachi,” he said. “They’re not load management, they’re not staffing problems, they’re just part and parcel of a contact sport.”

The numbers, he insisted, still sit within what he considers acceptable.

“Michael Baidoo’s the one that we can review and analyse how we can manage better, or the player can manage better,” Cleverley added. “But the injury numbers have been very pleasing and three out of the four we have got out have been either carried over from last season or contact knocks.”

The message is clear: Argyle won’t rip up their approach on the back of one painful week. But with Hartridge now added to the list, the next block of fixtures will reveal whether this squad can absorb the hits and keep its early momentum alive.