PLYMOUTH Argyle striker Ryan Hardie is likely to miss out on his side’s festive fixtures after he was stretchered off with a badly gashed knee in Saturday’s 3-3 Sky Bet Championship draw with Middlesbrough at Home Park.

The Scotsman was hurt during the second half of the game when he raced back to make a challenge on Boro’s Ben Doak as he closed in on goal.

Hardie’s injury is certainly untimely, especially as the Pilgrims have a busy Christmas period, which continues with their next fixture away to Coventry City on Boxing Day, before a trip to Oxford United on Sunday, December 29.

Argyle also lost fellow frontman Michaal Obafemi with a groin problem, while defender Brendan Galloway also had to be withdrawn late in the game.

Argyle head coach Wayne Rooney, who saw his side slip to the bottom of the Championship table, said: “Initially when they looked at Ryan they thought it had gone through his tendon, but from assessment it hasn’t. It’s quite a deep gash, which he has just had stitched up.

“It’s in an awkward place, it’s right on the bottom of his knee and bending his leg won’t help it heal.

“I’m a player who had a lot of them gashes and I think it was the right call to take him off. I’m sure it will probably be the Christmas period he would be out. That’s disappointing because I thought he worked really hard today. In the last two games he has done well for us.

“Normally your stitches are in for a week or so, but given where it is, every time he walks or moves he’s going to have to bend his leg, so it’s a tricky one to heal.”

The loss of all three players added to a frustrating day for Argyle, who had to settle for a share of the spoils from an entertaining 3-3 draw against Boro.

Skipper Lewis Gibson gave Argyle a deserved first half lead only for the visitors to level not long into the second half through Jonny Howson.

Midfielder Darko Gyabi got his first-ever senior goal as he blasted in Mustapha Bundu's cross to restore the home side’s lead, but Hayden Hackey made amends for an earlier miss when he stabbed in after his initial shot was saved

Bundu made it it 3-2 as he converted a cross from the left, but just as it looked as though Argyle would get a first win for six-and-a-half weeks, substitute Emmanuel Latte Lath fired in unmarked from close range after a corner was headed back across goal.

Rooney remarked post-game: “Firstly, it's probably the most chances - clear chances - we've created all season. That's a real positive for us. In the first half, I thought we were excellent. Defensively we were excellent in how we pressed, how we nullified them playing through the lines, and forced them to go long.

“I thought we created a lot of chances today; we were unlucky to go in only 1-0 up.

“All three goals we conceded were poor from our point of view, but the reaction to them scoring was fairly good, in terms of getting back on the front foot, creating chances.

“There was a bit of naivety I felt, in terms of two of their goals, not clearing the ball well enough and not picking up on second balls on set-pieces.

“In the second half, we maybe got dragged into feeling we were going to win the game. [Maybe because] we haven't won for a while, we sat off them a little bit and allowed them to dictate the game.

“There's moments where we can improve. I think just controlling the game and controlling your opposition makes a big difference. I didn't think we did that well enough, and it cost us today. Overall, it feels like a defeat, but there’s certainly a lot of positives.”