Fears that Peterborough United could lose key man for the rest of the season

Nathanael Ogbeta may have played his last game for Posh this season. Photo: Joe Dent.

The full-back was forced off after 20 minutes of Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Bristol Rovers at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Ogbeta was replaced by Dan Butler after suffering a thigh injury.

The on-loan Swansea man has featured in the last 20 Posh matches since arriving in January and scored a crucial goal to seal a 2-0 win over Derby last month.

The extent of his injury is currently unknown, but with Posh travelling to Oakwell to face Barnsley in the final game of the regular season next Sunday (May 7), even a slight knock could see Ogbeta’s season ended.

Asked about the extent of Ogbeta’s injury, Posh boss Darren Ferguson said: “I don’t know at the moment. He felt something in his thigh, whether it was a strain or not, we won’t be able to tell until Monday.

"It could just be cramp or fatigue because he’s played a lot of games recently but he was fine leading into the game. If it is a muscle injury, that will be him done. If it’s fatigue, then he will be fit for Sunday.”

Should Posh finish sixth, the semi-final first leg would not be until May 12, giving the 22-year-old an extra week to recover should he miss the Barnsley match.

Posh are also retain hope that they could have Nathan Thompson available for a potential second leg.

Striker Ricky-Jade Jones made his return from injury against Bristol Rovers after missing the last three games. He replaced Josh Knight with 13 minutes to play as Posh chased a winner.

Ferguson added: “I thought Ricky did really well when he came on. He’s a real threat at this time of the season so that’s given me something to think about.”