Sheffield Wednesday have confirmed that Louie Barry is set to miss up to three months with ankle ligament damage, and this one feels particularly cruel.
Barry suffered the injury during Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers, shortly after scoring Wednesday’s equaliser, when he rolled his ankle close to the touchline at Adams Park.
The 23-year-old has already notched up three goals and one assist in just four league appearances since joining Wednesday and had quickly become one of Henrik Pedersen’s biggest attacking threats.
But it is not just the numbers that make this setback difficult to take.
After the 7-2 win over Bromley, Barry spoke with genuine excitement about his start at Wednesday.
Scoring in front of the Kop, he said, had been “one of my best feelings in football”, while he described the roar from the fans as “unbelievable”.
You could hear how much he was enjoying himself.
He talked about Wednesday being a ruthless team, the attacking quality around him and the relationships already developing with his new teammates.
There was a sense of a player who had quickly settled into both the team and the club.
That is why this injury hits hard.
Barry had momentum, confidence and, perhaps most importantly, looked happy. He was playing with a smile on his face and beginning to build the sort of relationship with the fans that can turn a good signing into something much more significant.
Now that progress is temporarily on hold.
Pedersen explained just how much work Barry had put into becoming a more complete part of the team.
“He has been amazing. Of course it's a big, big blow for Louie. He has trained so hard and he has worked so hard,” said the Wednesday boss.
Pedersen highlighted the amount of energy Barry had been putting into Wednesday’s work without the ball, defensive transitions and overall team structure, before beginning to show even more of his attacking quality in recent weeks.
Barry has also now spoken publicly about the setback, saying he is “absolutely gutted” but will do everything he can to return as quickly as possible, while continuing to support his teammates from the sidelines.
He also thanked supporters for the messages he has received, saying they “mean a lot” to him.
It is another small reminder of how quickly that connection between Barry and Wednesday has developed.
Pedersen questions Adams Park surface
There is also an uncomfortable question surrounding how the injury happened.
Barry appeared to roll his ankle where the grass pitch meets the artificial surface close to the touchline at Adams Park.
Asked whether the layout should be examined from a player-safety perspective, Pedersen made his concerns clear.
He pointed to the difference in height between the surfaces and the quality of the artificial area surrounding the pitch, arguing there should not be such a significant change so close to the field of play.
It is impossible to say whether Barry would have avoided injury on a different surface, but seeing one of Wednesday’s most in-form players ruled out for as long as three months in those circumstances only adds to the frustration.
What does Wednesday lose?
From a footballing perspective, Barry is not an easy player to replace.
His direct running gives Wednesday a genuine threat from the left, while his willingness to attack defenders and get into goalscoring positions has already produced three goals.
There was also a noticeable change at Wycombe once he left the pitch, with Wednesday losing some of the threat they had been carrying down that side.
Pedersen does at least have options.
Kieran Morrison provides pace and directness, although he has looked more comfortable operating from the right.
Harry Gray can play across the front line and may now find more opportunities coming his way, while Mason Burstow and Jamal Lowe give Wednesday flexibility if Pedersen wants to adjust the shape of the attack.
The expected arrival of Davis Keillor-Dunn could also prove exceptionally well timed.
Keillor-Dunn is not a direct replacement for Barry, but his ability to operate in several attacking positions gives Pedersen another experienced League One option at a point when his squad suddenly needs one.
A test of the new Wednesday
This is exactly the sort of setback that will test the depth Wednesday worked so hard to build during the summer.
In previous seasons, losing a player in this sort of form could have left the squad looking exposed.
This time, Pedersen has alternatives.
That does not mean Barry will not be badly missed.
Three goals and one assist in four games demonstrate his influence on the pitch, but the bigger disappointment is seeing a player who seemed to have found his place suddenly forced onto the sidelines.
Hopefully the next time Barry runs towards the Kop, he can pick up exactly where he left off.