Crawley midfielder Josh Simpson will not play again this year.

Simpson is in line to return to light training following a hamstring injury on Friday but will not be fit for Crawley’s three crucial games over Christmas.

The former Peterborough midfielder had a painkilling injection last Friday to try to speed up his return having been sidelined for the last six weeks with the problem.

Even if the injection allows Simpson to resume full training boss John Gregory is resigned to being without the transfer-listed former skipper for the matches against fellow strugglers Port Vale, Leyton Orient and Colchester.

It means Simpson is unlikely to be fit to play again until Crawley’s next game at home to MK Dons on January 10. Crawley were due to play Chesterfield on January 3 but that match was postponed due to the Spireites still being in the FA Cup.

Gregory said: “The injection went well but you are not supposed to do anything too strenuous for four of five days afterward so we are not sure how much progress Josh has made.

“We will know a bit more on Friday when Josh returns to training but there is no way he’ll be fit for the weekend and the games against Orient and Colchester come around very quickly after that.”

Reds could also be without Gwion Edwards for the visit of Port Vale on Saturday with the winger rated 50-50 to recover in time from hernia surgery two weeks ago.

Ryan Dickson, who had a similar operation, remains on course to be fit but top scorer Izale McLeod is serves the second match of a three-game ban.