Forest Green Rovers investigating high number of injuries in squad

Centre-back Jordan Moore-Taylor has missed 10 league games this season because of injury and scored in the FA Cup win over Scarborough

Forest Green are conducting an internal investigation into the continual high number of injuries suffered by players in the squad.

The League Two side are currently without 10 first-team players.

The Gloucestershire club fell back into the relegation zone last weekend after a 3-0 defeat by Tranmere.

They needed a replay to beat non-league Scarborough Athletic in the FA Cup first round on Tuesday and next face Grimsby on Saturday in the league.

"We lost five strikers in three weeks," head coach David Horseman told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"At the moment we're internally investigating each case - what happened, what could have gone better, what we could have done to prevent it to try and buck this trend, because this has been day once since we come in, two weeks before the start of the season."

Of those on the sidelines at least four players have hamstring injuries - Matty Taylor, Reece Brown, Nathan Holland and Marcel Lavinier.

Striker Matty Stevens faces "at least" five weeks out after having an operation on his knee on Monday, while fellow forward Callum Morton is out for a month after rolling his ankle.

Goalkeeper Luke Daniels, defenders Darnell Johnson and Ryan Inniss, and midfielder Jordan Garrick are all hopefully returning within two to three weeks.

Horseman said there are a number of reasons for the injury rate.

"A lot of people I mentioned have got quite a significant injury history - that's fine, most people at this level do - but significant injuries and multiple injuries, so that obviously makes them of a higher risk," Horseman said.

"We've got a new style, new way of training. We had three managers in pre-season so it was a broken pre-season for the ones that are fit. Some had no pre-season, we signed them after the season started and I think that makes quite a difference.

"Some travel quite a bit to come to training and I think with all this stupid extra time we've probably come to the equivalent of an extra game with the added on minutes.

"Lou [Louie Carey, assistant coach] myself, Troy [Deeney] we've come in from clubs in the Premier League so we've seen the level of professionalism that does need to take place in terms of preparation, recovery, how you train, the science that comes behind it.

"Over time with the way the club are going and the things we're trying to implement I'm sure this will all even itself out - it seems to have all come at one point and I've got to bear the brunt of it."