Grimsby's Eastwood out for six months after surgery

Jake Eastwood has played 27 games for Grimsby since joining from Sheffield United in 2023

Grimsby Town goalkeeper Jake Eastwood faces six months on the sidelines after surgery to repair his patellar tendon.

Eastwood was stretchered off after conceding the first goal in Grimsby's 3-2 win over Carlisle United in League Two on Saturday.

The 27-year-old slid into a goal post in trying to keep out Sam Lavelle's header and ruptured the patellar tendon in his knee. He had to be replaced by 17-year-old Seb Auton making his senior debut.

"You can't have such a sharp piece of metal sticking out right behind the posts. These goals are widely used but it's obviously a design flaw because that can't happen," Mariners head coach David Artell told BBC Radio Humberside.

"We now lose a goalkeeper for an extended period of time because of the design of a goal.

"If it's any consolation it's his knee and not his head, because it could have been absolutely disastrous."

Artell said that Grimsby began their search for an emergency goalkeeper signing at half-time of the match at Brunton Park.

Having also lost Jordan Wright to a shoulder injury, Auton is the only keeper in the first-team squad ahead of Tuesday night's game at league leaders Gillingham.