Marcus Bignot offered an update on the status of some of Swindon Town’s injured players as the League Two season gets closer.

With one pre-season game left to play, Ryan Delaney, Sean McGurk, and Tariq Uwakwe have all missed time during July as they deal with injuries.

Swindon were defeated at Eastleigh with the bulk of their first-team squad involved, however, that trio were all unable to make the match against the National League opposition.

Delaney was signed to be a cornerstone of Town’s new-look defence alongside Grant Hall and Will Wright, he is expected to play on the left side of Mark Kennedy’s back three as he did to acclaim at Newport County.

The Irish defender arrived at Swindon off the back of a lengthy knee injury at Newport, which saw his season end in February, and he is yet to take the field for Town.

Bignot said that his injury in part informed the decision to obtain further depth in defence with the signing of Miguel Freckleton on loan from Sheffield United, although there is hope that he will return to the fold soon.

He said: “It [the Freckleton signing] wasn’t one we were expecting to do in terms of business if you look at the defenders we had brought in, but unfortunately we had a setback with Ryan Delaney.

“He won’t be ready [for Chesterfield] but won’t be far off and in terms of the depth of squad in the centre-back area, we felt we needed one more in there.”

McGurk has also not featured since the opening friendly against Swindon Supermarine, with Kennedy saying that he was dealing with a hip flexor problem, although he was not seen as being far away after the Melksham match.

However, despite saying there was a chance that he would be able to play against Southampton under-21s, he has not been able to get back involved yet with the season just over a week away.

Bignot said of McGurk: “Unfortunately Sean has had a reoccurrence of what has put him out initially, so that is disappointing.”

Uwakwe has also not played at all in pre-season nor since last October after a series of injuries disrupted his first season with Town.

The defender was initially listed in the squad for the game against Eastleigh, but pulled out and Bignot explained that the decision was not due to an injury.

He said: “Tariq was ill and so couldn’t make today’s matchday squad.”