Notts County hit with devastating David McGoldrick news ahead of AFC Wimbledon play-off second leg | OneFootball

The striker picked up a thigh injury in the first meeting between the two sides on Saturday.

Notts County forward David McGoldrick is set to miss the rest of the season due to an injury he picked up in the first leg of the play-off semi-final against AFC Wimbledon.

Barely anything went right for Notts in that first post-season meeting with the Dons. Stuart Maynard's side just could not find a way past Owen Goodman in the opposition net, despite some really testing efforts, and they conceded a sloppily defended header from Riley Harbottle, giving County all the work to do in the second leg at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.

Two more painful factors added to their misery. Star striker Alassana Jatta saw red, literally and metaphorically, minutes before the end of the game. He unleashed a proper striker's challenge, jumping into it with both feet off the floor, which led to a straight sending-off for the Gambian.

He won't be available for the second leg, and neither will his attacking partner, McGoldrick, whose thigh problem that was picked up in the first leg has ruled him out for the remainder of the post-season.

David McGoldrick ruled out for the rest of the season

The former Republic of Ireland international was forced to leave the pitch just a minute or two before Jatta's wild tackle and was spotted on the bench with an ice pack on his upper leg. Maynard initially suggested that cramp could be the cause of his issue, but it has turned out to be something more serious.

McGoldrick, who starred for Notts at 37-years-old this season, scoring 17 goals in 35 appearances, has said that he is devastated that he won't be able to help his teammates in the play-offs. "I'm obviously gutted that my season has come to an end - but I want to say a massive than you to everyone who has supported me.

"To be voted Players' Player of the Season is really special - and I'm also massively grateful to the fans who voted for me to win both Slayer of the Season and Goal of the Season.

"Let's all get behind the lads on Saturday - it's still all to play for and I believe in this team. COYP!"

McGoldrick is set to become a free agent this summer after he rejoined the club he played for in his youth two years ago.

Notts County have a very steep hill to climb against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday

Without their two top scorers in this campaign - Jatta netted 19 times in 39 appearances - Notts are going to have a tough job on their hands to break down a resilient Wimbledon defence on Saturday.

Of course, there's the question of who is going to come into the starting XI to replace them, and there aren't many proven answers to that conundrum. Once Maynard does decide on a frontline, will they have enough to break down League Two's best defence away from home, given how much they struggled to do so at Meadow Lane?

Johnnie Jackson's side conceded only 35 times in 46 regular season games and kept 21 clean sheets in those contests - those stats either led the league or co-led the league in those metrics.

County's finishing wasn't good in the first leg. It's hard to see how they will improve in the second without their two best scorers.