Southend United's new signing Rico Richards has been ruled out of the pre-season clash against Aveley due to a hamstring injury. Richards signed for the Shrimpers from Port Vale on Friday, but Blues boss Kieron Dyer opted not to include him in the match.
What happened?
Richards suffered a slight strain in his hamstring, but he's up to sprinting and had a training session today. Dyer said, "Rico had a hamstring problem. It's a slight strain in his hamstring but he's up to sprinting and he had a training session today."
Why it matters for Southend
The injury is a setback for Richards, who was expected to make an impact in the pre-season clash. However, Dyer is optimistic about his future with the team, saying, "I've watched his career from when he was at West Brom and Villa. I can't wait to work with him and he joined in with possession yesterday and he's going to be a fan favourite."
What comes next?
Richards will join in training on Monday and will be a bit behind his teammates due to the injury. However, Dyer is confident that he will make a positive contribution to the team, saying, "You can see on his clips he's a ball carrier and he adds to our arsenal so I'm really pleased with our signings."
Next fixture: vs Eastleigh (at home, 2027-02-16) (13th in the table).
