Gavin Cowan gives update on Shrewsbury Town striker after neck injury

George Lloyd is ‘feeling really good’ - but Saturday’s League Two clash with Gillingham could come too soon for him.

The striker was stretchered off with a head and neck injury towards the end of the first half of Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Rotherham United and missed Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Everton Under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

Four days may have passed between those two games, but Gavin Cowan was still perplexed how his side did not win a penalty for the challenge - though did give a positive update on Lloyd’s well-being.

He said: “When you are talking about penalties that we’ve not had this season... the challenge on him at the weekend, if that’s not a penalty then I don’t know what is.

“He literally gets cleaned out on the back of the head - it’s just an out and out penalty.

“He’s really suffered a big blow there - a big gash to the back of the head, whiplash - so what we’re really thankful of is that he’s in and around the building.

“He’s still Lloydy, he’s still a few brain cells short - we’re hoping that might knock some sense into him - but he’s in really good spirits, feeling really good.

“We just have to be really mindful of him going into the weekend - we might be a little bit short.”

Lloyd was treated for 10 minutes on the New York Stadium pitch before being carried off and taken to hospital, from which he was discharged later that evening having been given the ‘all-clear’.

He had been in good form prior to that collision - scoring in each of the two matches before, against Crawley Town and Bristol Rovers, to take his tally to four goals for the season.

Shrewsbury are back in League Two action at the Croud Meadow on Saturday, with former boss Gareth Ainsworth returning to Shropshire with his new side Gillingham.