Exeter City suffering same Huddersfield Town pain with player | OneFootball

Pat Jones is injured again and it looked like a bad one. Where do Exeter City go with the injury prone but talented winger?

We can't say we weren't warned.

When Pat Jones signed for Exeter City at the end of August 2024, the consensus from Huddersfield Town fans was 'a good young player but always injured.'

And it's fair to say we've already seen both sides of that coin in his 19 Grecians appearances, with some promising displays dampened by some serious setbacks.

Jones' appearances have been some of the more exciting elements of quite a drab campaign for the Grecians, but his season is over after he limped off in the 2-0 home loss to Stockport County a couple of weeks back.

It wasn't just the injury, it was his reaction that hit home, and he was clearly distressed at pulling up just 10 minutes after coming on from the bench.

The fact that club captain and fellow injury room-mate Pierce Sweeney swiftly followed him down the tunnel for support also hinted at the impact his injuries have had on him and his fellow players.

Pat Jones struggling with hamstring injuries

Unfortunately, the 21-year-old's Grecians career kind of started how it continued.

The former Wrexham man signed on for City on August 30th but by September 12th manager Gary Caldwell had confirmed that he had suffered a hamstring injury with Wales' Under 21s and that would be out for a number of months following surgery.

What the Terriers fans knew was also known to Caldwell as well, as he explained to Devon Live back in September: "Pat has picked up quite a bad injury.

"It is something we knew when we signed him, that he has had some injury problems and he has picked up an injury in his hamstring that will require surgery.

"Hopefully he can get back quickly and get involved because he showed in the first few training sessions the quality that he has."

In the end Jones did just about make his City bow before 2024 was out, coming on as a substitute in the thrilling 4-4 comeback draw against Crawley Town at St James Park on December 29th.

That cameo was enough to get City fans hoping that they'd bagged a good one.

Jones out for rest of season with fresh injury

There was also a feeling that maybe the surgery would have corrected the problems that had blighted him.

But it wasn't to be and Jones is again out for some time with his manager backing up the impression that it was a bad one.

"Pat is not good," Caldwell told Devon Live. "He is getting a scan, but whenever you see a player running that fast with the reaction that he had, then it is never good, so he will have a scan.

"I really feel for him because he’s worked extremely hard and he has got himself to a level of fitness and played more games than he has probably played for a long time and we really felt he was coming into form by showing the quality that we know he has.

"To pick up this injury is a huge blow for him and I am really disappointed for him."

It's a real shame as he clearly has ability and pace to burn, though that speed looks as though it's a gift and a curse.

The glimmer of hope for Jones and City fans is that if you're going to do a hamstring then this is the time to do it with a few months rest coming up and a full pre season in the offing before Exeter embark on their fourth successive League One campaign in 2025/26.

If, and it's a big if, City can get Jones fit and available for 75% of the season he should have a big impact and his raw pace alone gives him an X-Factor at this level.

He seems like a great guy as well so everyone will be keeping their fingers crossed that he can come back stronger and get a proper run next season.