Lincoln City Academy graduate Sean Roughan is facing another spell on the sidelines after suffering a thigh strain with Huddersfield Town.
The defender will be unavailable for an unspecified period, with Huddersfield boss Martin Drury confirming the injury while discussing the condition of his squad.
It is Roughan’s second significant injury since leaving the Imps for Huddersfield in the summer of 2025. His competitive debut for the Terriers ended after just 24 minutes when he was forced off during their opening-day victory against Leyton Orient. He recovered to make 40 appearances in all competitions during his first season in West Yorkshire, including 32 League One starts, but will now spend another period out of action.
That is a marked contrast to his final campaign at Sincil Bank. Roughan played every minute of all 46 League One fixtures during 2024/25 and was also ever-present in the FA Cup. That reliability had become one of his strongest qualities, particularly during the closing stages of a Lincoln career which brought 149 senior appearances and five goals across all competitions.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Drury said: “Sean Roughan unfortunately has a thigh strain, which will keep him out for a period of time, so Sean won’t come back.”
The Republic of Ireland under-21 international initially joined our academy in 2019 and made his senior debut against Crewe Alexandra in September 2020. After a loan spell with Drogheda United, he established himself in the first team and was named City’s Young Player of the Year for 2023/24. He left at the end of his contract in 2025, joining Huddersfield on a three-year deal with compensation payable to the Imps.
Former Lincoln City Players Injury Hell
Roughan is not the only former City player to have experienced sustained injury problems after leaving Sincil Bank. Regan Poole suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury only a few months after joining Portsmouth in 2023, keeping him out for more than 10 months. He subsequently endured shorter calf, groin and ankle issues, although he is not currently dealing with another long-term problem.
Lukas Jensen’s first season at Millwall was also cut short by a severe Achilles rupture suffered in training in April 2025. His anticipated return was delayed by a separate quadriceps injury, leaving the goalkeeper out of senior action for around 15 months before he finally returned in August 2026.
Anthony Scully has endured similar frustrations since leaving City for Wigan Athletic in 2022. His time with the Latics and subsequent move to Portsmouth were both disrupted by fitness problems, with the winger later undergoing knee and ankle surgery. The ankle operation involved removing a metal plate, while Scully described the more substantial procedure as an attempt to correct structural problems he had carried for several years.
Comments Welcome!