“WE will just have to deal with it.”

Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman was pragmatic as ever with the double blow of first losing Sean McConville to injury then announcing the impending departure of Jordan Clark.

Talismanic McConville suffered a season-ending injury after rupturing his Achilles in the 2-1 loss to Rochdale on New Year’s Day. By the time he returns to action, Clark will have departed the Wham Stadium with his contract up at the end of the current campaign.

“It is a double blow but life goes on you have to prepare for every eventuality,” said Coleman. “Accrington Stanley will still be here when I have gone.

“So you have to accept that things change and you have to be prepared to change with them.”

McConville goes under the knife today and Coleman says his presence both on and off the pitch will be missed. As for Clark, he has no fears of the midfielder just coasting for the rest of the season.

“Jordan is a cracking lad and I have got nothing but admiration at the way he conducts himself,” added the Reds boss. “You could label some players who would wind down - a bit like when you were in school waiting for the summer holidays and you were on wind down for two weeks and you do little or no work.

“But I can’t see that happening with Jordan.

“He just loves football too much. I think we will get maximum output from Jordan until the very last breath that he is with Accrington.”

Coleman is hoping McConville will suffer no further setbacks after the operation and that the 30-year-old will be back for pre-season

“Hopefully it won’t stretch over two seasons because I think that is very demotivating to a footballer and individual when you are out for one season and part of the next,” said Coleman.

“So with a bit of luck the operation will be a success and he can resume pre-season training.

“It is a devastating blow to lose him both as a player and an influence in the dressing room on match days. But it has happened now and we have to deal with it and hopefully he will come back stronger from the experience.”

Coleman said the injury just underlines how quickly things can change for a footballer - an injury that will prompt him to recruit during the January transfer window.

“That is why footballers should cherish every minute they have got on the pitch because you don’t know when it is going to be cut short,” he said. “Hopefully Sean will bounce back from this but other players have lost their careers through an injury like that.”

He added: “I have always had half an eye on a wide player because we think we are going to lose Jordan at the end of the season so that is something that has been at the forefront of my mind anyway - but it has just been brought forward.”