Blackpool FC: Neil Critchley provides Karamoko Dembele update following early exit for ex-Celtic wonderkid against Northampton Town

Karamoko Dembele struggled to have his usual influence in Blackpool’s 2-1 defeat to Northampton Town.
Karamoko Dembele (Photographer Dave Howarth / CameraSport)Karamoko Dembele (Photographer Dave Howarth / CameraSport)
Karamoko Dembele (Photographer Dave Howarth / CameraSport)

The Seasiders had picked up back-to-back 4-0 wins prior to the fixture at Bloomfield Road, but couldn’t replicate those high levels.

Jordan Rhodes had pulled his team level after Kieron Bowie’s opener, before Sam Hoskins scored the winner for the visitors.

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With 10 minutes remaining, Dembele left the action after spending a few moments down on the floor receiving some treatment.

Since his summer arrival on loan from Brest, the 20-year-old has become a popular figure at Bloomfield Road and has been involved in seven goals.

Discussing his early exit in the game against Northampton, Blackpool boss Neil Critchley said: “He’s fine- there’s no problem. It was just a bit of tiredness and fatigue. He’s a young boy who hasn’t played this amount of football in his career.

"There were a few players out there that were possibly jaded, and that’s something for me to think about. It was an awkward game for us, but there were no surprises- I know Northampton would come here and give us a tough test.

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"Unfortunately we weren’t good enough to find solutions to the problems they gave us. It was an important one for us to keep building confidence and momentum in the group, so it’s a setback, but it won’t define our season.

"We’ve got a break from the league now and then we’ve got Carlisle, so we’ve got to make sure we come back to that in winning ways.”