Shrewsbury to be guided by Premier League club over midfielder’s injury
Shrewsbury Town are being guided by Chelsea regarding Leo Castledine’s recovery from injury - according to boss Gareth Ainsworth.
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Salop have not seen the talented youngster since he was taken off in the 58th minute of their League One clash against Charlton in south London at the end of January.
The 19-year-old, who is on a season-long loan from the Stamford Bridge-based side, has a stress fracture in his back.
Salop’s head coach, Ainsworth, says they must be guided by his parent club over his rehabilitation.
“These youngsters get these injuries,” he said. “He is only young.”
“Chelsea value him highly, so we have got to go by them, and they will have a no-risk policy.
“If there is any risk at all, they would probably not take that risk.
“My gut is that there is no news at the moment, but I don’t really want to have a gut feeling about it.”
During his time in Shropshire, Castledine has made 26 appearances in blue and amber across all competitions - scoring twice.
The Town boss was asked if they are likely to see the attacking midfielder again, but he was reluctant to say for definite, suggesting it is not his area of expertise.
“I spoke to someone at Chelsea last week,” he continued. “He is resting this overuse injury.
“I do not want to go into too much detail as it is not my domain.
“It is a medical situation, so it is difficult to comment too much, but rest is the most important thing for Leo.
“He is still doing that. I really hoped he might be back towards the end of the season, but if he is not, then he has done really well for himself.”
The Town boss feels the youngster will have developed significantly during his loan move to Shropshire over the last seven months.
He said: “Leo has put himself firmly in the sights of other clubs with what he has done. A fierce competitor, he gave everything, just like his dad.
“I love that. There were one or two things we were still trying to refine in his game, and we just did not get there because of the injury.
“Hopefully, he is getting better.”
Salop welcome Burton to the Croud Meadow this weekend as they look to make last weekend’s defeat at Exeter a distant memory.
