Having suffered a setback in his attempt to overcome a long-term injury, Andrew Nelson is to visit the surgeon who performed his knee operation to discuss how next to tackle the continuing problem that is keeping him off the pitch.

The Darlington striker has featured eight times this season, but not at all since October 26th, missing the team’s last ten fixtures.

He responded well to an injection in November that was aimed at helping heal the troublesome issue.

It was a platelet-rich plasma injection, a relatively new treatment aimed at accelerating the healing process, and it appeared to have had the desired effect, but he is now to visit a knee specialist.

Quakers manager Alun Armstrong admitted: “Nella is still struggling. He had the injection and was flying when he came back, full of enthusiasm, but he’s had a breakdown again which is not great.

“He is going to have a proper chat with a specialist to see what we’re going to do with him.

“It’s such a shame because he works ever so hard, and then he gets pain and its aggravated again.”

With 13-goal Luke Charman potentially on the move, a fit Nelson would be ideal to call on, but instead Armstrong last week brought back Tyrone O’Neill on loan from Scunthorpe United.

“We’re not casting him aside, definitely not,” added Armstrong. “I know his potential, a fit Andrew Nelson would be top drawer at this level.

“We’ll give him as long as we can, but you can see he’s getting a bit downhearted with it all. It must be tough for him.”

Nelson, who has been working closely with Quakers sport therapist Danny O’Connor, first sustained the knee problem last season while with Torquay last season.

Meanwhile, Quakers hope to extend the loan stay of defender Jake Lawlor from Hartlepool United.

He has become part of Armstrong’s first-choice pairing alongside Danny Ellis in the centre of Darlington’s defence.

Armstrong said: “We’re in discussions with Hartlepool about extending it. I’d like to keep him because he brings a bit of calmness to the defence.

“You’ve got Danny’s aggression in attacking the ball, and Jake’s calmness next to him, I think they make a decent pair.”

Jake Cooper’s loan from Rotherham United has now expired. Armstrong explained: “He wants to stay, so I’m waiting to speak to his agent to tie him down until the end of the season.

Darlington are 14th in the table and on Saturday travel to 20th-placed Farsley.