Grimsby's Eastwood out for six months after surgery
Jake Eastwood has played 27 games for Grimsby since joining from Sheffield United in 2023
- Published
Grimsby Town goalkeeper Jake Eastwood faces six months on the sidelines after surgery to repair his patellar tendon.
Eastwood was stretchered off after conceding the first goal in Grimsby's 3-2 win over Carlisle United in League Two on Saturday.
The 27-year-old slid into a goal post in trying to keep out Sam Lavelle's header and ruptured the patellar tendon in his knee. He had to be replaced by 17-year-old Seb Auton making his senior debut.
"You can't have such a sharp piece of metal sticking out right behind the posts. These goals are widely used but it's obviously a design flaw because that can't happen," Mariners head coach David Artell told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Humberside.
"We now lose a goalkeeper for an extended period of time because of the design of a goal.
"If it's any consolation it's his knee and not his head, because it could have been absolutely disastrous."
Artell said that Grimsby began their search for an emergency goalkeeper signing at half-time of the match at Brunton Park.
Having also lost Jordan Wright to a shoulder injury, Auton is the only keeper in the first-team squad ahead of Tuesday night's game at league leaders Gillingham.