Stevenage boss Graham Westley has pointed out the link to the types of injuries his players are suffering and the Lamex Stadium pitch.

The latest duo to join the Stevenage injured group are Darius Charles (leg fracture) and Jon Ashton (ankle) who were added to the list after Tuesday’s goalless home draw with Bury.

Of the playing surface, Westley said: “There are obviously problems there linking to the injury situation that we have got.”

A host of players, including former loanees Lee Barnard and Ryan Brunt, have suffered ankle and other injuries when on home turf.

Westley added: “People are asking me the question ‘to what extent is the pitch causing these problems?’

“Barnard went with an ankle, Brunt went with an ankle, Darius arguably has lost his footing as he has made the challenge, Ash has gone with an ankle, [Dean] Parrett lost his footing and went with a groin, so there’s a lot of problems coming about and you can see watching the game how much the pitch is cutting up.

“The pitch is not in my hands, it’s not my area of responsibility, the circumstances of the pitch speak for itself.

“Everyone who is watching the games can see what’s going on out there.

“In the warm up [on Tuesday, goalkeeper Chris Day] Daysy was trying to kick a ball and lost his footing and took a yard of turf up.

“It really is very soft, it’s really difficult to get any footing and we are suffering with the same types of injuries on a consistent basis.

“The pitch isn’t helping the game either because it’s very much a question of trying to play in areas rather than being able to play the type of game we all like to see.

“Everybody at the club I’m sure will be concerned by the fact that we are taking the knocks and by the fact that the pitch is doing what it’s doing, all you can do is deal with the problem in front of you.

“How it happens, let’s face facts pitches and weather they can just be a moment in time I suppose where things get the better of a pitch, whatever that is.

“It doesn’t have to be a blame thing, it’s just we are where we are and we all want to be in a much better place because seeing the pitch cut up like it is, it speaks for itself, that that’s not good for anybody.

“It’s not good for an injury point of view, it’s not good from a football point of view so everyone at the football club I’m sure wants that situation to improve.

“It’s a question of the people with the responsibility having a look at it and solving the problem.”