Adeniyi facing another three months out...

By Wendy Gee -

Peter AdeniyiEASTLEIGH have been dealt a huge blow in the build-up to the Blue Square Bet South season with news that Peter Adeniyi will be out for between two and three months.

The towering midfielder's knee injury - a remnant from the Staines Town away game on February 27 - turned out to be a lot more serious than the Spitfires had feared.

"Peter had micro-surgery on his knee last Saturday and I'm led to believe he will be out for between eight and twelve weeks, which is a massive blow," confirmed Spitfires boss Ian Baird.

The exact nature of Adeniyi's injury is unclear, but Baird said: "It's not ligament damage or anything like that.

"It's a problem that might not clear up and it maybe that he will have to play with a bit of pain for the rest of his career.

"He played in pain at the latter end of last season and it's possible the operation won't fully cure it."

Adeniyi, 30, signed for Eastleigh from Bromley in December 2007 and was instrumental in helping the Spitfires to their highest ever finish of third in 2008/09.

The 2009/10 campaign was less successful for Baird's men, but the London-based midfielder was still named in the Conference South managers' team-of-the-season.

Adeniyi's midfield sidekick Anthony Riviere also remains sidelined with Achilles trouble with the Conference South kick-off now just two weeks away.

"Rivs is still struggling and it may be that Cooky (physio Andy Cook) will give him a jab in the area surrounding the Achilles," Baird reported.

On a positive note, keeper Jason Matthews has recovered quicker than expected from groin trouble and could even be fit in time for tomorrow's friendly at Banbury United.

That, though, won't necessarily mean new signing Gareth Barfoot losing his place.

The former AFC Totton stopper has looked solid against Leyton Orient and Bashley and Baird said: "He hasn't put a foot wrong."

Winger Shaun McAuley, who has a hairline fracture of the ankle/tibia, has had his protective boot removed, but is still over a month away from fitness.

Baird intends taking a strong side to Southern Premier outfit Banbury even though the Spitfires have a big fixture at home to Alan Pardew's Saints on Monday (August 2, 7.45pm).

"The Saints game is more a prestige fixture," said Baird. "We can't afford to miss a Saturday in our build-up to the season."

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