Stockport County defender Arttu Hoskonen is unlikely to feature for the rest of the season as he continues to battle against injury, boss Dave Challinor said.
The 28-year-old Finland international joined the Hatters last summer on a two-year deal as a free transfer, having previously played in Poland with Cracovia.
He is yet to feature for the club, however, having suffered a groin injury and will not feature at all for the rest of the campaign.
“I don’t think we’ll see him this season,” Challinor told Radio Manchester.
“It’s been a horrendous season for him personally with the injuries he’s picked up.
“What we have to do now is look a bit deeper at why that might be and that’s what the aim is over the coming weeks. He’ll have different tests and see different people to try to get to the bottom of the conundrum which has been placed in front of our medical team.”
Challinor said he could return to fitness around the time of the League One play-offs next month but his lack of playing time makes it unlikely he would feature, as they instead target next season.
“The biggest thing we do now is support him. He’s obviously hugely disappointed because he’s come to a new country and new league and wants to show what he can do and he hasn’t been able to do that,” Challinor added.
“We’ve brought in an international footballer who has showed away from here what he can do and his hope was to come here, run in and prove himself in English football.
“He’s not had the chance to do that and we’ve got to make sure we put him in a position where he has the opportunity to do that.”