Paul Hurst has revealed he expects to be without striker Ellis Harrison for at least two months after he suffered an ankle ligament injury in training.

The striker suffered the problem in training on Thursday and was one of the two players Hurst mentioned prior to this afternoon’s game with Birmingham as being major injury doubts.

“It’s not very good at all,” Hurst said.

“We think he’s ruptured a ligament in his ankle and we expect him to be out for minimum of a couple of months, perhaps longer. It’s a frustration of course.”

Harrison’s injury, coupled with Jon Walters’ achilles problem which has seen the veteran striker return to Burnley facing six months out, means Hurst will now consider his options in the free agent market.

“With Ellis we need to have a look at it and if there’s something out there we feel can help us then we’ll look at it,” Hurst said.

“It doesn’t change my feelings over all but, if we are going to be without him (we maybe need to look at it).

“We’ve lost Jon (Walters) who gives you a physical presence at the top end of the pitch and then you lose Ellis who is another one who will compete and win headers. Maybe we are then a little light.

“Kayden and Freddie are the two obvious strikers and then after that there aren’t too many options.”

Myles Kenlock also missed out this afternoon due to injury while Emyr Huws suffered a setback with his knee.

“Emyr Huws, we’d said about his knee and he didn’t train Friday, and we’d hoped he would take a step forward again,” Hurst said.

“Myles Kenlock, too, was another we lost on Thursday to an ankle knock. That shouldn’t be anything like Ellis’s injury and he could be back training on Monday.”