GARETH Ainsworth has everything crossed his players don't pick up any more hamstring troubles after a spate of injuries hit his squad.

The Blues boss blamed his side's gruelling schedule of eight matches in the space of a month for so many players picking up hamstring injuries.

Anthony Stewart, Leon Johnson and Matt McClure have all had to sit out in recent weeks, while Marvin McCoy had to be included among the substitutes at Scunthorpe despite suffering from the same ailment just so Wanderers could name a full bench.

Ainsworth said the strains are all relatively short term and doesn't want to risk his players until they're fully fit in case they pick up a similar injury to the one that's likely to keep Champions League star Zlatan Ibrahimovic out for the rest of the season.

He said: "The eight games in four weeks didn't help and the ones who picked up the injuries all seem to be the ones who played the majority of the games. I think it's fatigue. It's not a major pull with six to eight weeks out, it's only two or three. That tends to be fatigue and a strain rather than a massive trauma.

"We are all worried about picking up these hamstring injuries - we need to be careful. It's at the stage of the season where in three or four weeks it's the end of the season, so it's really important we don't pick up hamstring injuries.

"Ibrahimovic picked one up on Wednesday night so that's his season gone. I can't have that happen to any of my players.

"There's been three or four in the last two weeks. It's tough on Theo [Farley, physio] but he's going to have to deal with this and get these players back as soon as he can."

But he added: "This is probably the last game they'll miss. The hamstrings will be back for Newport next week, it will be a risk for this week."