Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury he picked up while playing for Queens Park Rangers a fortnight ago.
The 34-year-old was an unreplaced substitute after clutching onto his hamstring in the final minutes of their 3-0 home defeat to Coventry City on April 15, leaving them down to 10 men after they had used up all their substitutions.
Balogun joined QPR last summer on a free transfer and was a regular in the team, starting 11 consecutive league matches before he was struck by an injury that kept him out for about four months.
QPR head coach Gareth Ainsworth confirmed the news of the Nigerian defender’s absence on Friday.
Ainsworth said: “With three weeks of the season left, only Ossie Kakay and Leon Balogun will be out for the rest of the season and I am gutted for them as they are both brilliant professionals.
“Losing Leon Balogun to a hamstring again. I lost Luke Amos to a hamstring as well. It’s just compounding what’s happening here and things don’t seem to be getting any better on that front.
“However, we have got a very good squad available now and did not pick any injuries up at Burnley which was brilliant.”
In Balogun’s absence, QPR have managed to be unbeaten in two games, playing out a 1-1 stalemate with Norwich before stunning league champions Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor.
They will visit bet365 Stadium to take on 16th-place Stoke City on Saturday.
Balogun’s time at Loftus Road looks to have come to an abrupt end as his contract ends at the end of the season.
He made 16 appearances for QPR and found the back of the net once.
