Eaton said: “Gavin’s facing at least eight weeks out. It’s cruel on him and we’re having horrendous luck with our injuries – we’ve already used 25 players in six games so far.”

On Rochdale, Eaton said: “Bobbie (Goulding, Hornets’ coach) has made no secret of the fact he’s expecting a top three finish and they’ve had a bit of a slip up last week.

“It’s a very difficult time for us to face them but we did well against the Skolars and we’re full of confidence.”

Sam Gardner could feature after returning to full training following a hamstring injury, while Eaton has dropped his interest in recruiting a French-based Australian forward.

Bobbie Goulding has admitted he expects a big improvement from his troops on Sunday.
He said: “We want a massive response this week. There’ll be a couple of changes, but not too many because there’s no need to panic.

“I know that every single one of my lads underachieved last week and more importantly, they know it themselves. They’re an honest bunch and they’ve all put their hands up.” The other games