Andy Carroll's Dagenham Debut Delayed by Hamstring Injury

ANDY CARROLL’s senior debut for Dagenham & Redbridge will have to wait until at least September due to injury.

The former England striker , 36, is not fit to play in the club’s opening home fixture of the Enterprise National League South against Ebbsfleet United at The Chigwell Construction Stadium on Victoria Road on Saturday August 9.

3 Andy Carroll will have to wait for his Dagenham & Redbridge debut Credit: Getty

3 It comes after he picked up a hamstring injury Credit: Getty

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Boss Lee Bradbury says former Liverpool , Newcastle and West Ham star Carroll is struggling with a hamstring issue and must be patient to make a first start for the Essex part-timers.

Bradbury, a former Portsmouth and Bournemouth player, was asked about the first-team’s injury situation and he said: “Starting from the top of the pitch, obviously Andy (is out) with his hamstring.

“He is going to be four to six weeks. A massive loss for us.”

There are also fitness concerns over right-back Dermi Lusala (knee) and midfielders Conor Lawless (groin) and George Marsh (hip) – while striker Donovan Wilson may require a cast after breaking a bone in his hand.

Bradbury, who only has one more pre-season clash left before the new campaign starts, added: “It has all come at the wrong time through pre-season, at a time when we want to be taking them up through the gears.

“We have had to be really careful with the players.

“The good thing now is we have got two clear weeks as far as no mid-week games.

“We can get some real work done on the training ground, in the gym and in the classroom to try and improve the team.

“We have some people coming into the building as well. Importantly get these injured boys, or at least three or four of them, back and fighting for places.

“We would be a much more competitive squad if we can get two-thirds of them back competing for places.”

Possible options for Carroll’s highly-anticipated first appearance could be against Worthing at home on September 6 or Dorking away on September 20.

Dagenham are in the sixth tier of English football after being relegated from the National League last season.

SunSport exclusively revealed on July 13 that the Gateshead-born striker – who scored twice in nine England caps – had made the shock move after leaving French amateur outfit Bordeaux in June.

Initially, his kids thought “I was signing for Chelsea” when he told them he was returning to the UK.

It followed a takeover by a Qatari investment group and Carroll becomes a shareholder at the Daggers.

Carroll – who joined Liverpool from Newcastle in 2011 for a then-British record £35million – is not motivated by money .

He recently told the Non-League Paper that “I would be happy to play for free” given his love for football.

Hitman Carroll , who is 6ft 4in, came on as a 63-minute sub in the Daggers’ 5-1 pre-season friendly defeat to League Two Crawley on July 15.

He also played 45 minutes in the 1-0 friendly win over Walton & Hersham and had a 49-minute cameo in the 5-0 thrashing by Colchester United.

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