Charlton Athletic boss provides injury update on Jason Pearce – after skipper forced off in win over Plymouth

Jason Pearce has added to Charlton Athletic’s defensive shortages after coming off in today’s 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle with a knee injury.

The Addicks are already without Ryan Inniss and Sam Lavelle in that centre-back position – leading to Sean Clare filling in as the right-sided defender in a three-man defence.

But now Pearce is also added to that list, with caretaker Charlton Athletic manager Johnnie Jackson conceding he is unlikely to be fit for Tuesday’s match at Morecambe.

The club captain was replaced by Chris Gunter in the 55th minute.

Jackson said: “He went to clear one, got caught and opened his knee out. He knew about it at half time but he said: ‘Just let me see how I go’. Obviously he was feeling it but he put his hand up and said: ‘If it’s not right then I’m not going to put the team at risk’. That’s Jason Pearce for you – that’s the skip. He puts the team first.

“He put his hand up and said: ‘No, it’s not quite right’. I don’t know quite what he has done or what the fallout is going to be because he’s being assessed now. But when you come off the pitch on a Saturday for an injury then you don’t often play again on a Tuesday.

“My immediate thoughts are he might not be available. It leaves me short. We seem to be getting one of those a game. Adam Matthews played the first game at the back for me and we lost him and then Sam Lavelle. Now Pearcey. We nearly lost Akin to a suspension, so it seems to be a cursed position at the moment. Gunts came on and did brilliantly. Everyone coming on is filling in and knows their jobs. They are stepping up. It’s another opportunity for someone else.”