Shrewsbury's Aiden O’Brien ruled out for six weeks

O’Brien had a hip operation on Monday, an injury that has troubled the forward since he signed for Salop in the summer.

He arrived on a free transfer after leaving Portsmouth in the summer, signing a two-year contract at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

The 28-year-old did not feature in pre-season, and he made a seven-minute cameo on Salop’s curtain-raiser at Morecambe.

But he has not been in the squad since. And following the procedure, he is now set for an extended period on the sidelines.

“Six weeks probably,” boss Steve Cotterill said, when asked how long O’Brien would be out for.

“But he might be back playing in six weeks, so let’s just see how it goes. He has had the operation, it went well, so that is good.

“He now has to have the dressing on and, the first week, he has got to really take it easy.

“We will see where we are once the second week comes, and what we feel we can get him to do.

“After three to four weeks we should be able to start stepping him up a little bit.

“It is going to be a little bit longer, and there is nothing we can do about it.”

Meanwhile, the Town boss is hopeful an injury sustained by Ryan Bowman is not enough to keep the forward out for too long.

Bowman started the first two league games, but he has been used as a substitute since.

But the forward was not in Cotterill’s matchday squad against The Rams on Tuesday night.

“He has tweaked his back,” the boss said.

“And it has gone round to his hip and into his groin a little it bit. We are hoping it is not a groin strain, but it has come from his back. He has moved and jarred it. I don’t know is the answer at the moment, but there is nothing major wrong with him.

“It is not like he has suddenly got to have an operation or anything like that.”