Ibrahim Cissoko blow could open exciting drawer at Plymouth Argyle | OneFootball

Freddie Issaka has the perfect chance to stake a claim for a regular first team spot from now until the new year

Plymouth Argyle were rocked by the news that Ibrahim Cissoko will be out until the New Year after undergoing surgery on a hip injury earlier this week.

The Dutchman had been one of the shining lights of the Pilgrims’ start to the season, having got himself on the score sheet three times as well as dazzling with his skilful performances on the wing.

The news of the 21-year-old Toulouse loanee’s setback will be hard to take for the Green Army, who will be looking for another star to glimmer in his absence, with plenty of expectation put on academy graduate Freddie Issaka’s shoulders.

The young star was given the nod in the 1-0 victory over Portsmouth on Tuesday night, and could well be the man that Wayne Rooney relies on until 2025 comes around.

Ibrahim Cissoko blow could hit Plymouth Argyle hard

It hasn’t taken long for Cissoko to endear himself to the Home Park faithful, with his unpredictable performances earning him plenty of plaudits since making the temporary move to Devon in the summer.

With his fantastic feet and mesmerising movement, the wide man has created plenty of dangerous moments for the Pilgrims, and scored the first goal at the Theatre of Greens this season, with a well-taken effort against Hull City.

A match-winning brace in a 3-1 victory over Luton Town in September further cemented his reputation as one of the main attacking threats for Rooney’s side this season, before the red mist descended on him in last month’s trip to Cardiff City.

Having been fouled by the sideline, Bluebirds defender Perry Ng rifled the ball into the winger who was laying prone on the floor, prompting a fiery reaction from the Dutchman, who was left seething in the changing rooms moments later after being dismissed.

That short-term loss has since been extended with the news of the injury setback earlier this month, leaving Argyle needing to think on their feet in terms of replacements leading into the festive period.

Freddie Issaka needs to make the most of Ibrahim Cissoko absence

While Morgan Whittaker will be operating on the right-hand side of the field for the majority of the campaign, that left-hand berth is currently up for grabs, with Issaka the man to be given the chance to impress in Tuesday night’s affair.

While the teenager proved to be a menace on the odd occasion, Argyle were struggling as an attacking unit as a whole in the first stanza at Home Park, with the visitors’ high press seeing them unable to piece passages of play together.

While Mustapha Bundu came on to replace him at the hour mark, the Welsh youth international looks to be back in Rooney’s good books of late, having had his own disciplinary issues earlier in the season.

A late red card against Queens Park Rangers left Argyle finishing the match at Loftus Road with nine players - having had Adam Forshaw sent off within half an hour - and since then, the teenager has struggled to regain a place in the starting lineup.

But now is the chance for Issaka to get a decent run of games in the side, and rediscover the sort of form that has been so prominent in his youth career.

The frontman had been scoring goals for fun at youth level, and running defenders ragged with his wicked feet, but all too often of late, he has been running down blind alleys and failing to link up with teammates when in promising positions.

While he has plenty of time on his side to hone those talents over the course of his career, the next couple of months give him the perfect platform to prove exactly what he can do in the men’s game, and take his performances up to the next level with the help of Rooney [pictured].

If there is anyone who knows how to make an instant impact on the biggest stage it is the Pilgrims boss, having made his breakthrough at Everton at the age of 16, before going on to a top class career on the domestic and international stage.

With the chance to learn from the best, the academy graduate needs to make the most of the opportunity thrown in front of him, and having grabbed the first goal of his professional career against Preston North End last month, there is plenty of hope for his future.