MIKE Dodds faces an anxious wait to discover the severity of Dan Ballard's hamstring injury after the defender was forced off in the second half of Saturday's defeat at Southampton.

Ballard tried to continue after receiving treatment on the injury at St Mary's but quickly realised he would be unable to play on and signalled for a substitution to be made.

Dodds must now wait for further assessments before he learns the full extent of the injury but with Luke O'Nien set to miss next week's QPR game as he serves the second of a two-game ban, the interim head coach will be desperately hoping for good news on Ballard.

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"Dan tried to play on, I don't want to add any fuel to the fire because at this point I don't actually know," said Dodds.

"He's come off with a hamstring injury, which isn't great. I don't want to comment at the moment whether it is minor or major because he'll come in and be assessed on Monday.

"He's strapped at the moment and he's OK within himself at the moment, he's not overly panicked but we'll have to see. We'll just have to wait and see."