PATRICK Hoban is expected to be ruled out until February after the Oxford United signing suffered an injury in training.

Scans have shown the Irishman damaged ankle ligaments when falling awkwardly, with the striker expected to be on the sidelines for two months.

It is a blow for Hoban, in what was one of his first sessions with the club after joining last month.

United head coach Michael Appleton said: “We all feel for Patrick.

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"He has settled in really well, was doing well in training and then just went up for a header and came down on his ankle.

“There was nobody near him, it was just one of those things, and we got him in for a scan as soon as we could.”

While it is a setback, the injury will only delay Hoban’s debut for a matter of weeks.

Having won the Irish league title for Dundalk in October, the 23-year-old is ineligible until United can secure international clearance, for which they cannot apply until the transfer window opens in January.

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