ADAM Murray has confirmed both Alex Penny and Pierce Bird have been ruled out of action after sustaining long-term injuries.
Penny is out with a back problem while Bird has undergone surgery to repair a knee injury.
And Murray confirmed both players will like miss several months of the season.
Murray said: “We’ve had some honest conversations [with Alex] this week because, ultimately, he has to look after his long-term health as well.
“Especially with his back, we can’t put him in a position where he’s risking his health, so there are a lot of decisions to be made on that one.
“We’ll give Alex all of our support and backing on that one as he’s worked so hard to get to the place he did in pre-season and the start of the season.
“He’s done everything possible to put himself in a good place, so it’s a big loss for us.
“Even his short term is going to be a few months, although it could be a little bit more serious than that as it’s his back.
“Birdy is going to be four or five months, possibly, before we see him back out on the pitch.”
Penny has scored one goal in seven appearances for Harriers this season while Bird has played four times in the league.
