Ipswich Town keeper Dean Gerken has been ruled out for at least a month with a shoulder injury.

The club have made an announcement, revealing the 30-year-old sustained the injury in the last minute of last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Birmingham last weekend when diving at the feet of James Vaughan.

“Gerks has seen a specialist in London and had a scan and he has suffered a partially torn ligament in his right shoulder,” said Town physio Matt Byard.

“He will be reviewed again in two weeks and we are looking at a return at the earliest in four weeks if there are no setbacks in that time. It could be longer.”

Gerken has started the last 25 league games in a row for Town. He will now be replaced between the sticks by Bartosz Bialkowski, the man who started the season as first choice before losing his place during bereavement leave.

Speaking earlier this month, Bialkowski said: “Obviously I lost my dad and was in Poland for a couple of weeks. Deano came into the team and he has been in absolutely fantastic form.

“It was exactly the same, well, not exactly the same, but it was a similar situation last season when Dean got injured (he was knocked out in a game at Middlesbrough).

“He was out for just a few games, I played well and kept my place and now he’s playing well and has kept his place. That’s just the way it is.

“It’s the manager’s decision and he has been up front and honest with me about it, which is all you can ask for.

“At the time I was obviously not happy, but there is nothing you can do. I’ve just kept training hard and kept supporting Dean because we are really good mates.

“Last season I was playing and he was there for me and supporting me. Now I have to do exactly the same because I truly like Deano. He’s a really good guy.

“Fair play to him, he has been absolutely amazing so far this season. That makes it even harder for me, but I have accepted that. I’ve just got to be ready to take my chance.”

Youngster Michael Crowe had been third-choice keeper but he is on loan at Conference National side Braintree and can’t be recalled before February 7, so that means that 21-year-old Jonathan Henly is likely to be on the bench for the home game against Reading next Tuesday.