Plymouth Argyle have been handed another injury headache, with defender Alex Hartridge facing up to four weeks out after damaging ankle ligaments during Saturday's 3-2 win at Doncaster Rovers.

The 27-year-old, signed on a free transfer ahead of this season, had been a model of consistency at the back, appearing in every Argyle league fixture since the campaign began. He was introduced as a late substitute at Doncaster when the knock occurred, which will make the timing of it feel particularly cruel to everyone at Home Park.

Head coach Tom Cleverley was measured in his assessment when speaking to BBC South West, keen to contextualise rather than catastrophise. "It's another unfortunate one," he said. "It's one of those things, it happens in football. We've got four boys out at the minute." He was quick to distinguish between what he called "contact knocks" and anything pointing to a broader issue with preparation or workload: "They're not load management, they're not staffing problems, they're just part and parcel of a contact sport."

Hartridge joins a growing list of absentees at the club. Michael Baidoo is the longest-term concern, sidelined until November with a hamstring problem, while Malachi Boateng and Jack MacKenzie are also unavailable. Cleverley noted that MacKenzie's issue had been carried over from last season, and that three of the four current injuries are either pre-existing or the result of accidental contact, rather than anything systemic. Baidoo's hamstring, he acknowledged, is the one case worth reviewing more carefully.

For Hartridge personally, a month on the treatment table is a significant setback in what had been a bright start to life as a Pilgrim. A former Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers man, he had made the position his own from the first whistle of the season, and added a goal on his debut, albeit in the Carabao Cup against his old club Exeter rather than in league action.

The concern for Cleverley now is maintaining defensive cohesion across what promises to be a congested stretch of fixtures. Plymouth have climbed into the upper reaches of the League One table, and the players filling in for injured colleagues will face an immediate test of the squad's depth. Losing a centre-back who has started every league game is no small thing, even if the wider injury record, as Cleverley points out, has been "very pleasing" by the standards of recent seasons.

Four weeks is four weeks, of course, and circumstances can change in either direction. Hartridge could return ahead of schedule, or the ligament damage could prove more stubborn than the initial assessment suggests. For now, Cleverley will be working through his options, and supporters will be watching closely to see how the defensive unit holds up without a player who had, quietly, become one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Whether Plymouth can maintain their position in the promotion picture while absorbing this run of injuries will tell us rather a lot about the strength of the squad Cleverley has built. The table flatters no one in the long run, but it is at least a pointer, and right now Argyle's is pointing in the right direction despite the treatment room filling up.

Frequently asked

How long is Alex Hartridge out for Plymouth?
Hartridge is expected to be sidelined for around a month after injuring ankle ligaments as a substitute in Plymouth's win at Doncaster Rovers.
What injury has Hartridge got?
He has damaged ligaments in his ankle, sustained during Plymouth Argyle's 3-2 victory at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
Who else is injured at Plymouth Argyle?
Michael Baidoo is out until November with a hamstring injury, while Malachi Boateng and Jack MacKenzie are also currently unavailable.