Bradford City and Republic of Ireland u21 defender Andy O'Brien will be out of action for a longer period than first thought. O'Brien fell heavily during Bradford's game with Leicester at the weekend breaking his collarbone.

He has since had an operation to re-set the bone and could miss up to two months of the season. He could miss up to eight Premiership games, plus the second and third rounds of the Worthington Cup.

This is a major blow for the Bradford Players' Player of the Year, as it is for manager Chris Hutchings.

Hutchings is trying to be philosophical. He said: "There's not much you can do about the situation. He fell awkwardly and came down with a bang and remained still, which told us that something serious had happened.

"It's such a blow for us because he started the season very well and picked up from where he left off last season, so will be sorely missed.

"I've got different options in defence and will think about who to bring in or move round. His loss is someone else's gain as it'll open the door for them to come into the side and impress."